t hair. i should be in the shot now too. try head and shoulders two in one. you wouldn't accept from any one else. so why accept it from your allergy pills? most pills don't finish the job because they don't relieve nasal congestion. flonase allergy relief is different. flonase relieves sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose, plus nasal congestion, which pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. and 6 is greater than 1. start your day with flonase for more complete allergy relief. flonase. this changes everything. mother...nature! sure smells amazing... even in accounts receivable.

gain botanicals laundry detergent. bring the smell of nature wherever you are. i ...prilosec otc 7 years ago,my doctor recommended... 5 years ago, last week. just 1 pill each morning, 24 hours and zero heartburn. it's been the number 1 doctor recommended brand for 10... ...straight years, and it's still recommended today. use as directed. an uninflated life raft

turned into a hazard in miami. it fell from a canadian military helicopter through the roof of that house, as you can see there. there was a woman who was sleeping in the home and she suffered some bumps and bruises. the chopper had just finished a training exercise. canadian officials are trying to figure out just exactly how did that raft come loose. >> yeah, that's an odd one. and police are warning ride-share passengers to be on aall right after arresting a driver accused of serial rape. >> he's charged with attacking at least seven women in the l.a. area over 15 months. >> reporter: a cautionary tale for anyone using ride-share apps after los angeles police arrest a man accused of posing as a driver to prey on women. 44-year-old nicholas morales is facing 27 felony counts, including rape. authorities say he was waiting outside clubs in beverly hills and surrounding areas late at night where at least one alleged victim tells abc news she mistook him for an uber driver. police say he would then kidnap and assault his victims at least once at gunpoint. now behind bars awaiting

arraignment, the married man is accused of raping at least seven women over a 15-month span. authorities warning everyone to be extra vigilant. >> he used the application. it gives you the make and model of the car. it gives you a license plate. so, make sure that you are in the correct car. >> reporter: police also warning potential riders to share your location with a friend and to always trust your intuition. police say they cracked the case using dna testing, and if convicted, the alleged serial rapist could face up to 300 years behind bars. kanya whitworth, abc news, los angeles. an uber passenger got a different journey than he was hoping for after using the app after a few too many drinks. >> kenny bachmann was partying with friends in morgantown, west virginia, when he got an uber to take him back where he was staying near west virginia's university, not so far, or so he thought. he woke up two hours later still in the uber, only to realize they were halfway to his home,

his family's home in new jersey! >> west virginia to new jersey. there's the map for you. the trip ended up costing him more than $1,600, though he did get home to new jersey safe and sound. apparently, he argued that he didn't actually put his home address in the phone and that the driver had his phone, but in the end -- >> but you know, you can store it as home and maybe he had his parents' home stored as home. >> whatever happened, they decided to have him and the driver resolve it, and the conclusion was he ended up paying the $1,600 tab. >> man, that's a mean hangover. [ inaudible ] >> i think so, yeah. all right, when we come back, why exactly is keith richards apologizing to mick jagger? we'll tell you in "the skinny." . crest glamorous white whitestrips are the only ada-accepted whitening strips proven to be safe and effective. and they whiten 25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

♪ start me up and never stop i don't think they've ever stopped, those guys. >> no. >> no, they're still going. and we're going to start things off with an apology from rolling stones guitarist keith richards. >> yes.

in a recent "wall street journal" interview, richards joked that rolling stones' front man, mick jagger, needed a vasectomy, saying, "it's time for the snip! you can't be a father at that age. those poor kids." so, jagger has eight children ranging in age from 47 years old -- >> from 47. >> -- to 19 months. >> oh. >> so, quite a bit range there. but richards now says he deeply regrets those comments, adding they were completely out of line. >> the two have been friends and bandmates for nearly six decades, but they've been open about having a roller coaster relationship. the band recently announced they're heading back on the road for a series of shows in europe, and the name of the tour, no filter. but you know, mick is in his 70s. >> it's true. he is up there. he is up there. though the name of the tour is no filter. maybe richards is hoping he gets a little bit more of a filter next time he thinks about these things? >> they've been together so many years, there's no filter needed. >> they're like an old married couple. you think about it, it comes

right out of their mouths. here's something you don't hear often, michelle obama talking about her husband in new york, giving up some of his beauty secrets. she's talking about his hair and had plenty to say on the subject, talking about how he's going gray. she says she will not call him a silver fox. >> oh, he earned that nickname during his presidency when his hair quickly turned gray over eight years in the white house, but mrs. obama doesn't see him that way, apparently, and she said that he could have avoided the title altogether if he had just dyed his hair while in office. >> yeah. she says he maybe would look too good, though, if he didn't have the gray hair, and hinted that she may even dye her own hair. she teased that barack regrets he hasn't said it's like ladies, hair, diet and exercise. >> that's the key? >> that's the key fwuty routine. >> now we know. i thought it was shaving it all off, that was the key. okay, so, we want to wish a happy birthday to baby face -- >> happy birthday!

happy birthday. >> to ya. >> the biebs is turning 24 today. ♪ baby, baby >> but how he's celebrating is a big secret. >> is it? >> or at least, it was supposed to be. so, this will be his first birthday celebrated with on-again/off-again girlfriend selena gomez since they got back together a few months ago, allegedly. to make it extra special, she's apparently planning a surprise party for him. surprise! >> wait, so, she was supposedly gathering all of his friends and family for a major event. just one small problem, if we know about it, doesn't he know about it? >> must be hard to throw a surprise party when you're part of a celebrity couple like that. >> yeah. >> yeah, well -- >> i guess he knows. >> sorry about that. happy birthday, biebs! she did say that after the party, i guess they're planning on spending some alone time, which is what he asked for. and -- ♪ >> the fab four. >> we're wishing the biebs a happy birthday. >> all right. we'll be right back. we're wishing the biebs a

happy birthday. ♪ baby baby

...from far away. but they harryonly see his wrinkles. if only harry used some... ...bounce, to dry. he would be a less wrinkly, winning guy.

♪ ndt, neil degrasse tyson still. >> oh, i didn't realize what you meant by ndt. >> i think that's what kids call him. >> people really want to know about astrophysics. >> i guess so. >> we're back with what doctors call a swappertunity, a 12-person kidney transplant swap. >> easy to say. >> kidney transplant swap. >> the procedure is alone mind-boggling, but what's even more amazing is the 12 people who are involved were all strangers. megan hickey from our powerhouse chicago station with more.

>> reporter: 19-year-old philip camelli wanted to give his friend, brendan flaherty, the life-saving gift of a kidney, but unfortunately, he wasn't a match. >> we've gotten many calls, but they've always been turned down. it's always been noes. >> reporter: tough news for 21-year-old flaherty, who's been waiting for six years on kidney dialysis, until he and his family got the call they'd been dreaming of. >> for this to be happening now, i mean, it's just amazing and a lot of words that i wish could come out. i just don't know what to say. it's just amazing. >> reporter: kimberly cooper, a complete stranger, was a match. and in return, philip camelli was paired with a match of his over, 95-year-old clotilde ruiz. >> i'm still giving a kidney, he's still receiving one. and the kidney is the only organ that you're born with a spare of and i had an extra one i've been lugging around, so. >> reporter: and the chain continued from there. >> i didn't know it was going to be this large, but amen to that. >> reporter: with the help of a computer algorithm, three sets

of friends, an aunt and uncle and second cousins who weren't matches for their loved ones, found out they were matches with other patients in the pool. >> i think it speaks to the power of living donation, that it can really create access to transplant that otherwise can many times be very difficult. >> reporter: the six pairs went through hours of simultaneous surgeries late last week, and six healthy patients met their angel donors. >> i'm just looking at her and, you know, just holding her hand. it was remarkable to think that my kidney's inside of her, and you know, i hope she just takes it and runs with it. >> reporter: donors like cooper say they don't deserve an award. they just hope this story inspires others to consider donating, too. >> to know that you're going to be saving a life, you don't need a cape for that. >> very cool. and all the recipients and donors are all doing great. >> and i'm sure they're all friends right now, at least on facebook and then some, right? don't miss our updates on facebook at

good morning. i'm diane macedo. >> and i'm kendis gibson. here are the headlines we're following this morning on "world news now." millions are in the path of severe weather from coast to coast. in the west, a blizzard, heavy rain, and possible mudslides threatening california. and in the midwest and northeast, high winds and heavy rains as well, a prelude to a nor'easter. president trump has lost another top aide, communications director hope hicks is stepping down. the white house says it has nothing to do with her admission that she tells white lies on behalf of the president. tributes in washington to the man once called america's pastor. reverend billy graham, who became the fourth person to lie in honor inside the u.s. capitol rotunda. a private funeral will be held tomorrow. and pieces of the oscar red carpet have been rolled into place along hollywood boulevard before sunday night's ceremony. those are just some of our top

stories on this thursday, march 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." the good news for hollywood, at least over the weekend, temperatures are supposed to get into the 70s, and the sun is supposed to be out. >> that's a good hair day! >> yeah. not so much today. we have these major storm systems on both coasts right now. >> in the west there's a blizzard warning in effect in california's sierra mountains. as much as 5 feet of snow could blanket the lake tahoe area. winds could reach as high as 100 miles per hour. >> and in the east, residents in the town of duxbury, massachusetts, are being asked to evacuate ahead of the nor'easter that is set to slam that region. officials say some roads could be under 3 feet of water due to the flooding. accuweather's paul williams is tracking it. >> good morning, diane, kendis. the storm arrives, dragging with it possibly one, maybe two inches of rain, causing some flash flooding, because that's

been the history of it. but then the cold side of this, well, look at this. locally, 18 inches of snow in some areas in the heart of new york and throughout portions of the northeast, and that nor'easter, as nasty as it is, possibly causing power outages. 60 to 80-mile-per-hour winds in boston, towards d.c., and in new york between 50 to 60-mile-per-hour winds with tree damage. and look, friday going into saturday, we're going to have problems with storm surge, 3 to k5 fe 5 feet, waterfront damage and severe coastal flooding. for the southeast, flooding as well, along 85 and 77. and friday, more snow throughout the northeast. and then we're looking at 4 to 8 feet of snow along the california/nevada line. kendis, diane? >> paul, thank you. we turn now to the sudden resignation of white house communications director hope hicks, one of president trump's longest serving aides. hicks is joining a long list of departures from the administration. she's the fourth person to hold that position in the trump white house. abc's stephanie ramos has the latest from washington. >> reporter: 29-year-old hope hicks is one of president trump's closest aides.

she first met ivanka trump while working at a pr firm in 2012 and then rose through the trump ranks. >> now, hope hicks is a tremendously talented person. she started off with us right from day one. >> reporter: her unexpected resignation comes just one day after hicks spent nearly nine hours on capitol hill being grilled on the russia investigation. lawmakers say hicks didn't answer questions about her time in the white house and some questions about the transition. they say hicks told the house intelligence committee she was instructed not to by the white house. >> they're following the orders of the white house not to answer certain questions. >> she answered every possible question on the campaign, and my understanding is the white house has asked her not to answer questions on the transition and her time in the white house. >> reporter: but hicks reportedly did admit to congressional investigators she told white lies for the president, who wasted no time responding to hicks' departure,

saying in a statement, "she is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. i will miss having her by my side and i hope to work with her in the future." the white house says hicks leaving now is pure coincidence and that she's been thinking about leaving the job for some time and wants to spend more time with her family. hope hicks was named communications director in september. she's the youngest person ever to leave the white house communications team. stephanie ramos, abc news, washington. now to florida and the emotional return to school for students at stoneman douglas high. many spent time with therapy dogs, even doing yoga with them. students will have another half day of classes today and tomorrow as lawmakers and companies move in reaction to the tragedy. we get more now from abc's maggie rui. >> reporter: for students at stoneman douglas high, school may be back in session, but they know now their lives will always be different. >> my school will never be the

same. it will never be the same. >> today was a weird, strange, emotional day. >> reporter: their day began with fourth period, going to the same classes they were in two weeks ago when the shooting broke out. >> when i got into the classroom, it was kind of like everyone stared at each other and got a little silent. then we all reunited. >> reporter: grief counselors and therapy dogs were on campus. >> i love the dogs so much. it helped a lot. >> helped a lot. >> reporter: helping students find a new normal after two weeks that have been anything but. [ crowd chanting ] many of these students are pressuring lawmakers to make a change. at a bipartisan meeting at the white house, president trump called for bold action. >> i think it's time. it's time that a president stepped up. >> reporter: the most pro nra president in history repeatedly took positions that put him at odds with the nra and many republican leaders. like the possibility of background checks on all gun purchases, raising the age to buy an assault weapon to 21 and even opposing his own vice president on how to take guns away from people who are a possible threat. >> or, mike, take the firearms

first and then go to court. >> reporter: trump insists the nra wants to do what's right, calling them patriots. companies are also feeling the pressure. dozens have cut ties with the nra and now both dick's sporting goods and walmart have announced that they're raising the age to buy certain guns to 21. diane and kendis? >> maggie, thank you. and a georgia social studies teacher is in custody, facing multiple felony charges after he barricaded himself inside an empty classroom and allegedly fired a handgun. that's when frightened students ran for the doors. police say randall davidson surrendered peacefully and they believe he wasn't planning to hurt anyone. still, students say their survival instincts kicked in as soon as they heard the sound of gunfire. >> everybody started screaming and some teachers said, "get out, get out," and we all just started running out, and i left everything, my bookbag. we didn't finish eating. >> several students describe davidson as their favorite teacher. he also called games for the school's football team, but so

far, police say he hasn't offered any explanation for his behavior. all of west virginia's schools will be closed yet again today, a sixth day, despite word from the governor and the superintendent that the striking teachers would be back at work. >> the teachers walked out in protest over their salaries, which they say are among the lowest in the country and amid increasing health care costs. west virginia's house has approved a 5% pay raise in a deal negotiated by the governor and union leaders. the senate is expected to take up that deal today. the number of pedestrian deaths in america is at a 25-year high. a traffic safety organization says nearly 6,000 pedestrians in the u.s. were killed by vehicles last year. the report partly blames using a smartphone while walking and increased use of marijuana. now, it says both can impair the attention and judgment needed by drivers and people on foot. and there's another possible reason to get that flu shot. researchers in japan say the flu vaccine could be linked to a 50% lower risk of death among heart

failure patients during flu season as well as a 20% drop during the rest of the year. but they warn that the study shows only an association between the shots and fewer heart deaths. it doesn't necessarily prove cause and effect. if you're a resident of maryland, right about now you're starting to get the feeling that walmart has something against you. >> yeah. and some people in maryland are pretty cranky about this. it's a craft panel that's supposed to be shaped like the old lime state. online commenters have not been impressed. >> so, it's the second maryland mess-up for walmart in two years. in 2016, the retailer sold university of maryland t-shirts which were supposed to show the state's outline. the image was another "m" state, of course. that's the baystate, massachusetts. >> oh, they typed in the "ma" and forgot to look at the rest of the letters. awkward. >> yeah. all right, coming up, how much is too much when it comes

to screen time for kids? we'll see what happens when they're the ones in control. and we're visiting the amazing winter festival. a town made completely out of ice. but first, a look at some of the frigid temperatures in the country today. >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by carfax.com. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by. brl dawn is serving up dinner for a whole town! that table was like... so big! can one bottle of new dawn clean all the dishes?

we did it! 6,000 dishes! a drop of dawn and grease is gone. your digestive system has billions of bacteria, but life can throw them off balance. try align extra strength, the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. with 5 times the good bacteria to re-align your system. re-align yourself, with align. it's funny really, nobody ever does iti didn't do itppens. and of course it's the really tough stains that nobody ever does ready? really? i didn't do it so when i heard they added ultra oxi to the cleaning power of tide, i knew it was just what we needed so now we can undo all the tough stains that nobody did dad? i didn't do it

huh, he didn't do it introducing new tide ultra oxi; it's got to be tide powerful skincare,s now light-as-air a breakthrough moisturizer delightfully whipped for instant absorption feel a light-as-air finish in a flash new olay whips ageless

watch as the driver of this black van leads police on a wild chase through the city of sanford, florida. he cuts through a field, nearly stopped by two police vehicles, but then still manages to get away. he eventually jumps out of the car, takes off on foot, runs through several yards. >> oh, that's a good jump. >> he even jumps over some fences. >> is he shirtless? >> he finally decided enough is enough and he gave up peacefully. >> but the way he leaped over that fence, like, if i'm like the dolphins and the offensive coordinator, i'm looking to sign him up right about now. >> there you go. maybe his future is bright. >> exactly. so, amazon has started sending customers snapshots of their front porches. >> yeah, it's part of a program to crack down on package theft. delivery provides take a picture

of exactly where they leave a package and include it in their e-mail delivery notice. >> a common customer complaint has been drivers hiding packages from would-be thieves behind flower pots or bushes but not telling customers where they've hidden them. >> ah, key piece of information. now to the hot debate at home, how much time should your kids spend using technology? >> one family decided to let their kids self-limit their use for 48 hours. what could possibly go wrong? >> what could go wrong? >> let's find out from abc's becky worley. >> reporter: in the harding household, angie and chad are trying to keep screen time under control. and no matter how hard they try to be the screen time police, there are always infractions. >> so, are you going to go from the xbox to your ipad and back to the xbox? >> reporter: in a dream world, kids would self-regulate. could that dream ever be a reality? we decided to find out. for 48 hours, the hardings let their kids manage their own screen time. >> what other things might you

do? is it all ipad or -- >> xbox. >> xbox, okay. >> youtube on computer. >> reporter: no bedtime, no limits. night one, the kids indulge. >> it's an hour and a half past his bedtime, and he's been on screen for almost five hours straight. >> guess how long i stayed up. >> how long did you stay up? >> 2:30. >> reporter: on sunday -- >> we're turning it off. >> reporter: -- the meltdowns begin. >> stop, stop, stop. >> stop it! >> cooper. >> ah! >> ow, ow, ow. >> stop! >> ow. >> reporter: using tracking software and logs, their parents kept a tally of their hours. the results were eye-opening. 6-year-old cooper racking up a total of 35 hours. 9-year-old spencer had 46 total hours. and the 11-year-old twins, kaitlin with 29 hours and jackson with 16 hours. and while jackson used the least amount of screens -- >> when you finally get off of

it, you suddenly think, i'm thirsty, i'm hungry, i need to go to the bathroom and things like that, but you don't feel those while you're on screens. >> reporter: becky worley, abc news, oakland, california. >> wow. >> so, the kids, they got smart, actually. they're even doubling up on devices to bump up their time. >> oh, yeah, they wanted to make this count. >> yeah. and that tantrum really made me want to have kids. >> yeah? >> yeah. >> feeling all warm and fuzzy inside? >> yeah. i hear it only gets better when they get to be like 13 and 14. it's a good time. >> they say they went to one of the kids' basketball game and still nod sibling was on a device the entire time. >> he might have been bored. all right, coming up, 10,000 workers build a frozen kingdom every year. >> our bob woodruff takes us inside this fascinating town, next on "world news now." >> and inside a fascinating town.

test. test. test. test. test. test. test. test.

♪ you're as cold as ice ♪ you're willing to sacrifice our love ♪ if you look really closely there, the sign says frozen. in times square. >> yep. taking a look at the frozen banner in times square, for the show, of course. >> yes. >> but this is kind of bringing that into reality. every year, over a million visitors gather at the northern edge of china to visit a gigantic amusement city made of ice and snow. >> yeah. the real "frozen." abc's bob woodruff went in search of olaf and elsa. ♪ let it go, let it go >> reporter: the frozen majesty of the ice and snow festival.

for more than 50 years, this ethereal ice has drawn visitors to china. we're here to see how all of this is done. look at this place. this is harbon, china, the average temperature in winter 11 degrees below zero fahrenheit. this is the city of ice everywhere. here's downtown with the park made out of ice. the building blocks come from here. the men and women of harbein literally carve the blocks of ice from the river. it's still grueling physical trade. push aside the snow, cut the frozen river into a grid, and then huge blocks. each of these blocks weigh at least 2,000 pounds. john chiholm has been doing this for 20 years.

trucks then deliver the ice into storage. no further refrigeration required. here in the backyard of the festival, they wait to be turned into pieces of art. i don't know how long it takes them, but they put each one of these castles together, palace, block by block from the river. during the day, the festival is like a frozen lost city. when the sun goes down, the ice city really comes alive. the ice lit up by l.e.d. lights, can be of any shape and any color, the size of 100 football fields. the harbin ice and snow world is a winter wonderland. this is the architect who

designed it all. how long does it take for you to build all this? >> two weeks. >> you build all of this in two weeks? >> all of this. >> reporter: as the temperatures here rise, all of these buildings and sculptures will melt back into the ground. i'm bob woodruff in harbin, china. >> beautiful. >> it looks beautiful, but it looks absolutely cold. >> well, it's made of ice. that's how it works. >> is that how it works? >> yes. >> so, next you're going to say the temperatures are less than 32 degrees. >> probably. >> fahrenheit. >> there are apparently different theories about why the ice is so transparent. they say maybe the river is just naturally that blue and clear. they also say each block of ice is formed from the river and then clean water from a deep well gets everything in place. >> fascinating. >> yeah. >> did you see something just now?

>> yeah, the ice sculpture on tv. >> huh. >> we'll be right back. did you see something just now?

you wouldn't accept from any one else. so why accept it from your allergy pills? most pills don't finish the job because they don't relieve nasal congestion. flonase allergy relief is different. flonase relieves sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose, plus nasal congestion, which pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. and 6 is greater than 1. start your day with flonase for more complete allergy relief.

flonase. this changes everything. special edition of "this happened" on this thursday, and this is karma. this video is really karma. so, there's this driver here on the right who's just impatient and wants to get on the on ramp, so decides to pass that vehicle. turns out -- >> whoopsy! >> that was the po-po. that's a no-no. so, this was caught on this other driver's dash cam, obviously, and they're like, oh, it's a cop! he pulled over! used the shoulder to pass a cop. >> there you go. at least he gave the other driver some entertainment for the day while they were stuck in traffic. >> yes. karma. well, i don't know if this was karim were, but definitely unexpected. some plane spotters went to el centro, the naval air facility in california, to watch this navy jet take off.

pretty cool, until -- >> oh! >> ooh. this is apparently a low transition takeoff, one of the after effects of a low transition takeoff, a giant whirlwind of dust. >> ooh, that is awesome! >> i hope they weren't wearing their sunday best. they're going to have to take a shower after that one. [ inaudible ] >> no matter what, they'll need a change of underwear, whatever they were wearing. >> that, too. now to this cool piece of video as well. this was inside a store. this young lady, tyler capito, decided to post this video about his baby sister, bailey, who bought this bear and then cut out the inners and decided to run through the store -- >> that is the best. >> but this is the best part. like, some of the material from the inside just started, like, coming out, and she's running away. >> you lose weight when uyou run. i didn't think, oh! hey there! >> hi. >> any stuffing coming out of your back or are you doing all

right? okay. >> we don't want to see what's back there. >> only on "world news now." only on "world news now." all right. >> our personal collection there. and finally, what do you do if you have a vehicle, you have something to transport and you don't have a trunk to put it in? >> ooh, no good. >> you just ask the dog to get it. >> oh. >> like this particular motorcycle rider with his labrador on the back. this is on a street in csonka. the passenger was riding by and saw this dog just holding an umbrella. >> nothing to see here. >> no big deal. >> nothing to see. >> nothing to see at all. >> just a normal day here in thailand. all right. cool. >> that's one way to get the job done. and that's the news for this half hour. >> all right, do remember to follow us on facebook at wnnfans.com. you're creeping me out. now it's just awkward. >> we're going to have to return that to the store. >> now it's just awkward. ♪

this morning on "world news now," another key departure from the white house. >> hope hicks, the communications director and close confidante of the president, is resigning. new reports on why she's choosing to leave after three years at donald trump's side. and the emotional return to school for students and teachers at stoneman douglas high school, greeted by officers and therapy dogs. they'll explain what they're feeling two weeks after the deadly massacre on campus. and flight to freedom. a baby chimpanzee flown to a refuge after being threatened by poachers. see why his trip is going viral this morning. plus, who will take home the on oscar? "three billboards" or "shape of water," or could "get out" be a surprise winner? rotten tomatoes' senior editor joins us in studio with the oscar predictions to beat all oscar predictions on this thursday. it's march 1st.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> it's already march. >> can you believe it? yeah, just like yesterday we were celebrating your birthday, and now march 1st. funny how that happens. >> yeah, and i turned a whole year older in one day. >> absolutely. >> i like that. all right, but moving on to the news, big one, actually. the unexpected departure of president trump's most trusted aide, or one of his most trusted aides, communications director hope hicks is leaving the white house. >> hicks was one of the president's longest supporters and advisers. and just this week she admitted to congress that she tells small lies for him. sources tell abc news hicks delivered an emotional good-bye to her staff, saying she's decided to leave because she doesn't like washington and doesn't want to be part of the system. here's cecilia vega at the white house. >> reporter: less than 24 hours after hope hicks emerged from nearly nine hours of testifying

on capitol hill -- >> any collusion? >> reporter: -- the president's closest aide and longtime confidante unexpectedly resigning from her role as communications director, sending shock waves through the west wing. the official line from the white house, hicks has been thinking about leaving the job for some time and wants to spend more time with her family. but the news comes with hicks under fire for that testimony, telling congressional investigators under oath that she occasionally told white lies on behalf of the president of the united states. >> thank you, donald trump! >> reporter: at 29 years old, she became one of the most powerful players in the trump white house. >> now, hope hicks is a tremendously talented person. she started off with us right from day one. >> reporter: by the president's side through the campaign. >> hope hicks. where's hope? hope. come here, hope. come here, hope. get up here, hope. hope hicks. the legendary hope hicks. >> reporter: before that in trump tower as an assistant to the billionaire businessman. a former model, she joined the family working on ivanka trump's

fashion line. now she helps run the white house, her handwriting right there on the president's note, reminding him to tell those grieving families from parkland, "i hear you." within minutes of news of her departure, the president releasing a statement saying "she's as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. i will miss having her by my side, but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, i totally understood." chief of staff john kelly calling hicks "strategic, poised, and wise beyond her years. to say that she will be missed is an understatement." but her tenure in washington not without scandal. hicks was involved in crafting a misleading statement about that now-infamous trump tower meeting between don junior and the russians. more recently, she was at the center of the firestorm over the departure of former staff secretary rob porter, ousted amid domestic violence allegations. porter and hope were dating, and she helped craft the administration's defense of him when the news broke.

but the white house says none of that is linked to her departure. the timing just coincidence. and hope hicks released a statement of her own, saying there are no words to adequately express her gratitude to president trump. she met with west wing staffers, tearfully thanking them for all of their work before she departed. that departure could be weeks off, but this is a key role for the white house to have to fill. hope hicks is the fourth communications director to come and go. cecilia vega, abc news, the white house. well, speaking of the timing, it happened literally seconds after president trump held a meeting on school safety today, and that follows a free-wheeling bipartisan session where he accused republicans of being afraid of the gun lobby. >> the nra is already pushing back after the president repeated his call to expand background checks and raise the age requirement to buy a rifle to 21. he suggested police should be allowed to immediately take guns from someone identified as a threat and let due process come later, but democrats are concerned the president may not

follow through. >> mr. president, it's going to have to be you that brings republicans to the table on this, because right now the gun lobby would stop it in its tracks. >> i like that responsibility, chris. i really do. i think it's time. it's time that a president stepped up. >> so, the president today is holding that school safety meeting. the white house is expected to unveil more than ten administrative and legislative priorities the president intends to champion in an effort to help prevent gun violence in schools. and two major retailers are putting new restrictions on guns. dick's sporting goods is no longer selling assault-style rifles. it's also banning the sale of all guns to anyone under 21 years old. ceo ed stack said on "good morning america" that dick's leadership felt they needed to do something in the wake of the florida attack. walmart is also stopping gun and ammunition sales to anyone under 21 and removing toys that resemble assault weapons from its stores and its website. officials at stoneman douglas high school in florida say 95% of students actually attended their first day back since the shooting.

>> many of those kids spent time with therapy dogs. some even did yoga with the animals. abc's victor oquendo talked to a few of them. >> reporter: the walk to school unlike any other before it. students returning carrying flowers, greeting officers, some with signs of encouragement. >> my school will never be the same without them. it will never be the same. >> reporter: it's changed forever. >> yeah, definitely. >> reporter: the students' first stop, their fourth-period class, the same period they were in when the shooting began. the idea, to allow them to spend time with those students they were with when the shots broke out. >> when i got into the classroom, it was kind of like everyone stared at each other and got a little silent, and then we all kind of reunited. >> reporter: the freshman building where the attack occurred closed. it will never be used again, a reminder that the school is far from whole. >> today was a weird, strange, emotional day. >> reporter: how so? >> in my spanish class especially, because one of our students didn't show up today because he was one of the 17. so, that was very upsetting. >> reporter: a law enforcement source tells abc news nikolas

cruz left behind nearly 180 unused rounds, and one of the magazines recovered had a swastika on it. an official briefed on the investigation says cruz tried to shoot out a window on the third floor but the hurricane-proof glass didn't shatter. fleeing students could have been targets. victor oquendo, abc news, parkland, florida. now to northwest georgia and a popular social studies teacher barricading himself inside an empty classroom and then firing a handgun. that sent panicked students hunning for the doors at dalton high school. police say randall davidson surrendered without incident but so far has refused to provide any explanation for his actions. they also say they don't believe he planned to hurt anyone. he is facing, however, multiple felony charges. moving on to the weather now, major storms are bearing down on both coasts. >> yeah, so, the system targeting the east will pound the ohio valley and the northeast today before becoming a powerful nor'easter. accuweather's paul williams tracking it all.

>> good morning, kendis, diane. the storm arrives with a fury. scattered showers and heavy downpours throughout the northeast, possibly 1 to 3 inches of rain in some areas. and where it's not raining, it's going to dump a crazy amount of snow, 18 inches in the heart of new york and then surrounding areas at least 1 to 3, and then the winds, watching out for power outages thursday night going into friday. we could see 60 to 80-mile-per-hour winds in boston and close to the d.c. area. and then to the west, 4 to 8 feet of snow possible along that california line. kendis, diane? >> all right, so, california winds, that snow. we're only getting 18 inches, only 18 inches here in the east. >> great! i'm glad march is here with that spring weather. >> yeah, here with a lion. but we move on to a chimp, a baby chimp that got to take a first-class trip to its new home. >> not bad. little musa had a prime seat on a plane to the congo after an animal sanctuary saved him from poachers. check that out. >> he had a great view from the pilot's lap. after a while, he got over the

excitement and even squeezed in a nap. >> oh, yeah. oh, look. >> oh, my gosh. >> a little makeover, getting ready for the big day. >> before the plane landed. look at him. >> how cute! >> that is the cutest piece of video. >> can they now just have baby chimps on planes? we wouldn't mind the delays. oh, look at him napping! >> no, oh. and then the landing. >> oh, i love it! >> that's awesome. >> that might be my favorite video of the day right there. >> uh huh, yep. >> all right. coming up, we are counting down to the oscars. so, we haven't seen all nine top films, but we found someone who has, and she will tell us what to look for on oscar night, ahead. plus, inside the church where members celebrate their assault rifles and even bring them along to get blessings. check out our behind-the-scenes pics on instagram, abcwnn. you're watching "world news now." agram, abcwnn. you're watching "world news

now."

dinner date...meeting his parents dinner date. why did i want a crest 3d white smile? so i used crest. crest 3d white removes... ...95% of surface stains in just 3 days... ...for a whiter smile... that will win them over. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. two giant smokestacks standing on the northern shore of lake erie for decades came

crashing down at a shuttered coal power plant. the plant will be replaced by a solar-powered facility. we're getting a first look at newly released police body cam video showing a violent shoot-out in san francisco. >> it happened earlier this month after a murder suspect allegedly fired two shots at police. in the video, seven officers respond and fire 65 times. here's the thing, though, no one was hit. the suspect surrendered two hours later. the department is investigating the officers' actions. >> but as graphic as that video is, just hearing the rapid fire gives you a good sense of -- >> unbelievable that no one was hit. >> yeah. >> and in the grand scheme of things, a good thing, though i'm not sure what that says about everybody's aim involved in that whole thing. >> that's true. pennsylvania state police stood guard at a church outside scranton where hundreds of followers packed a commitment ceremony for a special blessing with their guns. members of the unification church brought their ar-15s, which they believe is the rod of iron mentioned in the bible. officials say the church had

planned the event even before the school shootings in florida. now to the sexual harassment allegations against ryan seacrest. he continues to deny the claims made by a former stylist. >> but he's hosting the oscar red carpet show for the "e!" network on sunday. in light of the me too and time's up movement, some publicists are reportedly considering steering their clients away from doing an interview with "e!" on that red carpet. earlier this week, seacrest issued a statement saying he was recused of any wrongdoing in that matter. coming up, our friend and movie expert gives us some predictions on the oscars. stay with us. your hair is so soft! did you use head and shoulders two in one? i did mom. wanna try it? yes. it intensely moisturizes your hair and scalp and keeps you flake free. manolo? look at my soft hair.

i should be in the shot now too. try head and shoulders two in one.

♪ all right, so, welcome back. it is shaping up to be one of the most competitive oscar nights in years. >> but the big question is, who will win? well, our friend, senior editor of rotten tomatoes, grae drake is here with her predictions for who will take home the oscar on sunday night. grae, so great to have you here. thank you for coming in. >> welcome. good morning! >> this is my time!

i love it! >> this is it! >> we don't want the music to play you off, so we want to focus on the big ones. what are you thinking for supporting actress? >> let's just get this out of the way. it's allison janney, "i, tonya," all the way. she's incredible. she's this awful human being that just chewed the scenery and was awesome. >> so, allison, get your speech ready. it is in the bag. >> in the bag. >> i think supporting actor, though, it's a very competitive race? >> yeah. well, this one is trickier, because sam rockwell has won a ton of awards at this point for "three billboards." willem dafoe had a lot of support towards the beginning of awards season. >> he's in a movie, "florida project." most people haven't heard of it. >> and guess what happened, we have another nominee from "three billboards" in woody harrelson. >> oh, yeah. >> and i feel maybe they're going to split the vote. willem's going to pop in there, but let's just say sam for the sake of your oscar ballots, when you're in an oscar pool. >> so you're saying sam rockwell? >> i think so. at the end of the day, it's a good bet.

>> there's no splitting the vote for lead actress, so what happens there? >> my girl, frances mcdormand. >> oh, yeah. >> oh, my gosh, really serious. >> no, no. >> just took it in. i like that. >> i do love her and i do want to see what she's going to wear based on her last awards show appearance. >> what she's going to wear, what she's going to say. >> going to say! >> totally. >> i do love her all around, though. >> her last awards show appearance, they were supposed to all wear black and she just went her own. she went rogue. >> she's like, i'm not very good at conforming. >> i'm just going to wear colors. so, lead actor. you have timothy, a newcomer. >> timothee chalamet, "call me by your name." >> daniel day-lewis is there again, on his retirement tour, daniel kailua and denzel washington again. >> so, timothee chalamet is so new and he embodied this character. i didn't know who he was before this movie and now i'll never

forgot, but gary oldman as winston churchill in "darkest hour" is unbelievable. >> wow. >> and if you can imagine, gary oldman has never won an oscar for all the decades of amazing work he's been doing, and i think this is finally the year we're going to recognize him. >> we do keep hearing his name over and over again, although i wonder if he suffers by the fact that john lithgow also played churchill in "the crown" and did a phenomenal job as well. >> so far, it hasn't hurt him. >> so true. >> he's being compared side by side to somebody else. >> absolutely. and here's what worries me, he's won everything so far. so, maybe the academy voters are like, somebody else will vote for him, i'm going to give my vote to timothee, and then maybe there will be a big upset in this category. >> the politics of it is so interesting to me. then the big one, of course, best picture. first of all, let's hope they read the right card. >> oh, god! >> we've got "call me by my name," "darkest hour," phantom thread, the post, the shape of water, and "three billboards." and "get out." >> right. so, "three billboards" is really

building steam. everybody is talking about it, but over in l.a., that's all i hear on the street. i go to the grocery store, "three billboards." >> they're talking about "three billboards." >> in my grocery store. that's what it's like living in l.a. but i think that "shape of water" is a really, really good bet. now -- >> really? kendis loved that movie! >> how could you not love "shape of water" when a lady falls in love with the fish guy? >> i mean, it's a love story that no one wanted to see or see made. >> no one ever imagined or necessarily wanted to? >> my life can't be as interesting as yours, i guess, because i was totally into it. >> were you? >> so why does this beat out the others, because there are obviously great ones in the category. >> definitely. well, "shape of water" has won important awards leading up to this. guillermo just won the director's award and will probably take director on oscar night. usually that's pretty indicative of who will win the prize. but you know what, if "get out" won, you would have a very happy grae drake right now.

my god. i have never drank a cup of tea in the same way since i saw that movie. >> i know. i know. >> but how unusual is it for a movie like "get out" to be included to begin with? >> it's so crazy! >> a low-budget film, not a huge blockbuster. >> it's got black people in it. >> i know. >> very unusual for the oscars. >> blumhouse pictures released this in february and they're a smaller company. >> february last year. >> and they do genre movies and there are a lot of horror things, right? they're not thinking they're going to get nominated for awards, and "get out" is so good. it has something to say. it works on so many different levels that it really captured everyone's attention. >> and it came out a while ago and people are still talking about it. >> absolutely. well, we can't wait to see the results. >> me, too. >> oscar night. grae drake, thank you so much for being here with us this morning. you can, of course, catch the oscars hosted by jimmy kimmel, our friend, this sunday night on abc. >> do you want to show grae your "get out" impression? [ laughter ] >> we'll be right back.

we'll be right back. around here, i'm lucky to get through a shift without a disaster. my bargain detergent couldn't keep up. it was mostly water. so, i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated, so i get a better clean. i mean, i give away water for free. i'm not about to pay for it in my detergent. #1 trusted. #1 awarded it's got to be tide. and for a plant-based clean, try tide purclean

time for the thursday "mix." and we want to show you one of the coolest airbnbs out there, happens to be in my native belize. it's your own private island. >> ooh. >> yeah, welcome to little peter oasis, as we fly over it there. it's a private island, two-bedroom overwater villa there, above the caribbean sea. >> i want to go. >> it's not too bad, $975 a night on airbnb. you have the entire island to you. you can walk the entire island in five minutes. it also includes your private lagoon. you have a private chef. you can get there by boat or by helicopter. >> who's with me? >> $975 a night. like, if all 40 of us get together -- >> we can afford it. >> we can afford half a day

there. >> all right. >> not bad. pretty, right? >> we'll have to flesh out this plan a little bit more. on to sweden, shall we? some companies have a mandatory dress code, others have a mandatory in time or out time, but a company in sweden has a different rule in place, mandatory on-the-job exercise. >> oh. >> mm-hmm. so, they force everybody to go out and get their exercise on. they say the goal is to boost productivity and profitability. many swedes, apparently, see taking care of themselves as a duty of society, and so, this whole fitness trend is a reflection of that. the owner of the company says, you don't like it, you've got to go. it's a requirement. >> wow! they're bold. all right, so, who's with us? everybody, mandatory workout? burpees? burpees? >> this looks fun. you guys are doing a great job. up and down. >> all they're doing is just stretching. >> and up and down. >> zero. >> see, this is easy. >> very little effort. >> this is no problem at all. this is great.

>> did you pull your sciatica? all right, want to show you the cutest little thing in australia. this is a very international "mix" this morning. that you're looking at is a kualka. >> what is a kualka? >> it's an animal native to australia. this is at a bar in western australia. this animal just kind of snuck into the bar, and so, they decided to shoot video of him. >> that's not that guy's pet? >> nope. nope. but he's just loving it. >> he is enjoying that face massage. >> who's loving it? actually, that's what happens to punxsutawney phil after -- >> that's where punxsutawney goes on vacation after groundhog day. >> yeah, he's like, man, february 2nd was rough. who wants a beer? >> well, he looks like he could use a little bit of music. and apparently, listening to music, very beneficial, people of all ages, including young kids. but one child is taking listening to cds little too literally. dad says his daughter asked, what's a cd? so he says, there's music on it. well, that was her response. >> bravo.

this morning on "world news now," some of the country's largest retailers say they're tightening limits on gun purchases. this as the president hosts a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers and urges congress to act quickly on new gun laws. severe storms set to pound both coasts today. the west bracing for possibly the strongest one of the year, as the east prepares for more rain, snow, and damage along the coast. and rivers are still rising. and new this half hour, a reminder to anyone who uses uber, be specific. >> so, one guy learned that the hard way. after a night of drinking, he passed out in the car and ended up several states away. >> whoops! >> you can just imagine how much that ride ended up costing him. ♪ and they've been bandmates in the rolling stones for more than half a century, but hear

why keith richards is now apologizing to mick jagger. and what a vasectomy has to do with it all. uh huh. that's coming up in "the skinny" this thursday, march 1st. >> did he cut the wrong thing? >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> we are getting right to it on this half hour, right out of the gates. >> that is quite the tease, a vasectomy. >> not every day we start off the day with a vasectomy joke. >> yes, an apology and a vasectomy had something to do with it. whoops. we'll break that down later. now a serious note. lawmakers continue to debate but do very little on gun control. corporations appear to be taking a tough stand in light of the parkland shooting. >> walmart announced it is no longer selling guns and ammunition to anyone under the age of 21 and is also removing all toys that resemble assault weapons from its stores and website. >> walmart's move followed an announcement from dick's sporting goods that it's ending sales of all assault-style rifles. it's also banning sales of all

guns to those under 21. the ceo saying on "good morning america" that dick's will also no longer sell high-capacity magazines. >> that announcement came just as students at stoneman douglas high school headed back to class for the first time since that valentine's day attack, and we have more about that coming up. we should say that today the president is expected to unveil a list of priorities aimed at preventing gun violence in schools. >> the announcement follows an hour-long brainstorming session with members of both parties. but overnight, the nra made it clear that it is not on board with the president's suggestions. here's abc's jonathan karl. >> reporter: before the television cameras at the white house, the most pro nra president in history gathered together a group, including some of congress' most forceful advocates of gun control. >> and i see some folks that don't say nice things about me, and that's okay, because if you turn that into this energy, i'll love you. i don't care. >> reporter: and sitting in that room, the president repeatedly

took positions that put himself at odds with the nra and republican leaders in congress. he embraced connecticut democrat chris murphy's call for background checks on all gun purchases, an idea republicans have voted down again and again. >> we can't get it done. there's nothing else like that, where it works, people want it, and we can't do it. >> but you have a different president now. >> well, listen -- >> you went through a lot of presidents and you didn't get it done. you have a different president, and i think maybe you have a different attitude, too. i think people want to get it done. >> mr. president, it's going to have to be you that brings the republicans to the table on this, because right now the gun lobby would stop it in its tracks. >> i like that responsibility, chris. i really do. i think it's time. it's time that a president stepped up. >> reporter: trump even seemed to oppose his own vice president on how to take guns from someone identified as a possible threat. >> allow due process so no one's rights are trampled, but the ability to go to court, obtain an order, and then collect not only the firearms, but any weapons in the possession --

>> or, mike, take the firearms first and then go to court, because that's another system, because a lot of times, by the time you go to court, it takes so long to go to court to get the due process procedures. i like taking the guns early. take the guns first, go through due process second. >> reporter: and the president brought up an idea the nra says it firmly opposes, raising the age to buy assault weapons like the ar-15 used in the parkland shooting to 21 years old. >> i would give very serious thought to it. it doesn't make sense that i have to wait until i'm 21 to get a handgun, but i can get this weapon at 18. i don't know. >> reporter: the president told the bipartisan group he wants more than action. he wants bold action. the republicans in the room with the president didn't push back against anything he said, but republican senator ben sasse who was not there, put out a statement right after the

meeting, saying, "strong leaders don't automatically agree with the last thing that was said to them. we are not ditching any constitutional protections simply because the last person the president talked to doesn't like them." that gives you an idea of just how hard it will be for the president to push the ideas he was talking about with the republicans in congress. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> it was still very interesting to watch that hour-long meeting there on tv. in the meantime, the students at stoneman douglas high in florida will be back for another half day of class today. many received carnations from officers as they returned to campus for the very first time since the shooting. the students started their day as usual in the fourth period class where they were when the attack took place. victor oquendo was there for the emotional return. >> today was a weird, strange, emotional day. >> reporter: how so? >> in my spanish class especially, because one of on our students didn't show up today because he was one of the 17. so, that was very upsetting. >> the school superintendent says there was 95% attendance for the first day back.

students will have half days for the rest of this week. and president trump has taken yet another swipe at attorney general jeff sessions, berating him on twitter over the way he's handling complaints from republicans about the fbi. but this time, sessions is firing back. this photo is seen by some as a show of solidarity. that's sessions just hours ago having dinner with deputy attorney general rod rosenstein and the solicitor general, the top three justice department officials at a table. abc's pierre thomas has more. >> reporter: the president has made his frustration with his attorney general well known for months. >> i am disappointed in the attorney general. he should not have recused himself. if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and i would have picked somebody else. a lot of people are disappointed in the justice department, including me. >> reporter: for the first time, attorney general jeff sessions is firing back. it comes after this tweet from the president, slamming

sessions. the president believes sessions has not done enough to investigate allegations the fbi abused surveillance powers in the russia investigation. the president tweeting, "why is a.g. jeff sessions asking the inspector general to investigate potentially massive fisa abuse? will take forever. has no prosecutorial power. isn't the ig an obama guy? why not use justice department lawyers? disgraceful!" after months of responding diplomatically to the president's attacks -- >> well, it's kind of hurtful, but the president of the united states is a strong leader. >> reporter: sessions stood up to the president, writing in a statement, "we have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this department will be fully and fairly acted upon, if necessary. as long as i am attorney general, i will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor." president trump in a tweet told sessions to use justice department attorneys, telling him how to do his job, but

sources say the message from sessions was blunt -- let me do the job as i see fit or fire me. pierre thomas, abc news at the justice department. new questions about possible conflicts of interest involving the president's son-in-law and senior adviser. jared kushner's family real estate company reportedly received big loans from two organizations, all of this after their executives met with kushner at the white house. "the new york times" reports the loans totaled more than $500 million. kushner's attorneys claim that he had no role in the family business since joining the government, and both companies say there's no connection between the loans and kushner's role in the white house. and a note about kushner's new security clearance, at least the level being downgraded this week. cnn reports that even the white house calligrapher now has a higher level of clearance than kushner now does. and major storms are threatening millions across the country. >> the midwest is staring at

snow from chicago to detroit. meantime, the northeast will be soaked with heavy rains ahead of a weekend nor'easter. on the west coast, residents in northern california are preparing for what could be the most powerful storm of the year with snow, heavy rain, and possible mudslides. >> here's accuweather's paul williams with the forecast. >> good morning, diane, kendis. this nasty nor'easter started last night, continues today, goes into tomorrow, possibly creating 18 inches of snow throughout the heart of new york and 1 to 3 at the very least in surrounding areas, along with heavy rain that could cause flooding. but not only there, but in the southeast, along 85 and 77, raleigh, charlotte, atlanta, local wind damage and isolated flooding. and then to the west, unbelievable. along this line of california/nevada, 4 to 8 feet of snow. diane, kendis? >> paul, thank you. and police in new york are looking for a burglar who tried to cover his tracks while stealing from a car dealership. and, well, it didn't go so well. >> no, of course not. surveillance video shows the man kicking in an air conditioner, then jumping on to a glasstop

table -- >> oh! >> oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. >> good save. good save. >> putting the air conditioner back in place, as a good guy would do. >> leave everything as you found it. oh, no. >> he knocked over the desk! dismantling it. >> that's not going to work out so well. still, police say he left with $2,000 in cash, two tvs, two computers, and a bmw, which he drove through a fence to escape. so, my question, why is he working so hard to put back the air conditioner and leave the desk all tidy if he's planning to drive straight through a fence? >> and if -- did he steal the bmw as well? if he can afford the bmw -- >> well, now it's probably a little bit scratched up. all right. coming up, a woman asleep at home when something crashed through her roof. so, what was it? and later in "the skinny," hear why it's a big day for the biebs. that's ahead on "world news now." ♪

your hair is so soft! did you use head and shoulders two in one? i did mom. wanna try it? yes. it intensely moisturizes your hair and scalp and keeps you flake free. manolo?

look at my soft hair. i should be in the shot now too. try head and shoulders two in one. you wouldn't accept from any one else. so why accept it from your allergy pills? most pills don't finish the job because they don't relieve nasal congestion. flonase allergy relief is different. flonase relieves sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose, plus nasal congestion, which pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. and 6 is greater than 1. start your day with flonase for more complete allergy relief. flonase. this changes everything. mother...nature! sure smells amazing... even in accounts receivable.

gain botanicals laundry detergent. bring the smell of nature wherever you are. i ...prilosec otc 7 years ago,my doctor recommended... 5 years ago, last week. just 1 pill each morning, 24 hours and zero heartburn. it's been the number 1 doctor recommended brand for 10... ...straight years, and it's still recommended today. use as directed. an uninflated life raft turned into a hazard in miami.

it fell from a canadian military helicopter through the roof of that house, as you can see there. there was a woman who was sleeping in the home and she suffered some bumps and bruises. the chopper had just finished a training exercise. canadian officials are trying to figure out just exactly how did that raft come loose. >> yeah, that's an odd one. and police are warning rideshare passengers to be on alert after arresting a driver accused of serial rape. >> he's charged with attacking at least seven women in the l.a. area over 15 months. here's abc's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: a cautionary tale for anyone using ride-share apps after los angeles police arrest a man accused of posing as a driver to prey on women. 44-year-old nicholas morales is facing 27 felony counts, including rape. authorities say he was waiting outside clubs in beverly hills and surrounding areas late at night where at least one alleged victim tells abc news she mistook him for an uber driver. police say he would then kidnap and assault his victims at least once at gunpoint. now behind bars awaiting

arraignment, the married man is accused of raping at least seven women over a 15-month span. authorities warning everyone to be extra vigilant. >> he used the application. it gives you the make and model of the car. it gives you a license plate. so, make sure that you are in the correct car. >> reporter: police also warning potential riders to share your location with a friend and to always trust your intuition. police say they cracked the case using dna testing, and if convicted, the alleged serial rapist could face up to 300 years behind bars. kayna whitworth, abc news, los angeles. on a lighter note, an uber passenger got a very different journey than he was hoping for after using the app after a few too many drinks. >> kenny bachman was partying with friends in morgantown, west virginia, when he got an uber to take him back where he was staying near west virginia's university, not so far, or so he thought. he woke up two hours later still in the uber, only to realize they were halfway to his home,

his family's home in new jersey! >> west virginia to new jersey. there's the map for you. the trip ended up costing him more than $1,600, though he did get home to new jersey safe and sound. apparently, he argued that he didn't actually put his home address in the phone and that the driver had his phone, but in the end -- >> but you know, you can store it as home and maybe he had his parents' home stored as home. >> whatever happened, they decided to have him and the driver resolve it, and the conclusion was he ended up paying the $1,600 tab. >> man, that's a mean hangover. >> won't be a good night out in the morning. >> i think so, yeah. all right, when we come back, why exactly is keith richards apologizing to mick jagger? we'll tell you in "the skinny." jagger? we'll tell you in "the skinny." . crest glamorous white whitestrips are the only ada-accepted whitening strips proven to be safe and effective. and they whiten 25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

♪ start me up and never stop i don't think they've ever stopped, those guys. >> no. >> no, they're still going. and we're going to start things off with an apology from rolling stones guitarist keith richards. >> yes. in a recent "wall street

journal" interview, richards joked that rolling stones' front man, mick jagger, needed a vasectomy, saying, "it's time for the snip! you can't be a father at that age. those poor kids." so, jagger has eight children ranging in age from 47 years old -- >> from 47. >> -- to 19 months. >> oh. >> so, quite a bit range there. but richards now says he deeply regrets those comments, adding they were completely out of line. >> the two have been friends and bandmates for nearly six decades, but they've been open about having a roller coaster relationship. the band recently announced they're heading back on the road for a series of shows in europe, and the name of the tour, no filter. but you know, mick is in his 70s. >> it's true. he is up there. he is up there. though the name of the tour is no filter. maybe richards is hoping he gets a little bit more of a filter next time he thinks about these things? >> they've been together so many years, there's no filter needed. >> they're like an old married couple. you think about it, it comes right out of their mouths. here's something you don't hear often, michelle obama

talking about her husband in new york, giving up some of his beauty secrets. she's talking about his hair and had plenty to say on the subject, talking about how he's going gray. she says she will not call him a silver fox. >> oh, he earned that nickname during his presidency when his hair quickly turned gray over eight years in the white house, but mrs. obama doesn't see him that way, apparently, and she said that he could have avoided the title altogether if he had just dyed his hair while in office. >> yeah. she says he maybe would look too good, though, if he didn't have the gray hair, and hinted that she may even dye her own hair. she teased that barack regrets he hadn't dyed his hair before saying, it's like ladies, hair dye, diet and exercise. >> that's the key? >> that's the key to the beauty routine. >> now we know. i thought it was shaving it all off, that was the key. okay, so, we want to wish a happy birthday to baby face -- >> happy birthday! happy birthday. >> to ya.

>> the biebs is turning 24 today. ♪ baby, baby >> but how he's celebrating is a big secret. >> is it? >> or at least, it was supposed to be. so, this will be his first birthday celebrated with on-again/off-again girlfriend selena gomez since they got back together a few months ago, allegedly. to make it extra special, she's apparently planning a surprise party for him. surprise! >> surprise! wait. so, she was supposedly gathering all of his friends and family for a major event. just one small problem, if we know about it, doesn't he know about it? >> must be hard to throw a surprise party when you're part of a celebrity couple like that. >> yeah. >> yeah, well -- >> i guess he knows. >> sorry about that. happy birthday, biebs. she did say that after the party, i guess they're planning on spending some alone time, which is what he asked for. and -- ♪ >> the fab four. >> we're wishing the biebs a happy birthday. >> all right. we'll be right back. a happy birthday. >> all right. we'll be right back. we're wishing the biebs a

happy birthday. ♪ baby baby

...from far away. but they harryonly see his wrinkles. if only harry used some... ...bounce, to dry. he would be a less wrinkly, winning guy.

♪ ndt, neil degrasse tyson still. >> oh, i didn't realize what you meant by ndt. >> i think that's what kids call him. >> people really want to know about astrophysics. >> i guess so. we're back now with a different look at science. this is what doctors call a swappertunity, a rare, 12-person kidney transplant swap. >> easy to say. >> kidney transplant swap. >> the procedure is alone mind-boggling, but what's even more amazing is the 12 people who are involved were all strangers. megan hickey from our powerhouse chicago station with more.

>> reporter: 19-year-old philip cameli wanted to give his friend, brendan flaherty, the life-saving gift of a kidney, but unfortunately, he wasn't a match. >> we've gotten many calls, but they've always been turned down. it's always been noes. >> reporter: tough news for 21-year-old flaherty, who's been waiting for six years on kidney dialysis, until he and his family got the call they'd been dreaming of. >> for this to be happening now, i mean, it's just amazing and a lot of words that i wish could come out. i just don't know what to say. it's just amazing. >> reporter: kimberly cooper, a complete stranger, was a match. and in return, philip cameli was paired with a match of his own, 59-year-old clotilde ruiz. >> i'm still giving a kidney, he's still receiving one. and the kidney is the only organ that you're born with a spare of and i had an extra one i've been lugging around, so. >> reporter: and the chain continued from there. >> i didn't know it was going to be this large, but amen to that. >> reporter: with the help of a computer algorithm, three sets of friends, an aunt and uncle

and second cousins who weren't matches for their loved ones, found out they were matches with other patients in the pool. >> i think it speaks to the power of living donation, that it can really create access to transplant that otherwise can many times be very difficult. >> reporter: the six pairs went through hours of simultaneous surgeries late last week, and six healthy patients met their angel donors. >> i'm just looking at her and, you know, just holding her hand. it was remarkable to think that my kidney's inside of her, and you know, i hope she just takes it and runs with it. >> reporter: donors like cooper say they don't deserve an award. they just hope this story inspires others to consider donating, too. >> to know that you're going to be saving a life, you don't need a cape for that. >> very cool. and all the recipients and donors are all doing great. >> and i'm sure they're all friends right now, at least on facebook and then some, right? don't miss our updates on facebook at wnnfans.com. coming up, we've got more news for you. stay with us. morning.

>> have a great thursday. making n making news in america this morning, new turmoil at the white house. the president's longest serving adviser, hope hicks, resigns one day after reportedly admitting she told white lies for the president. we have new details about her exit. overnight, senior adviser jared kushner back in the spotlight for loans his business may have received. and attorney general jeff sessions fights back after another presidential insult seen here gathering with his top deputies at the justice department. we have the latest from washington. president trump shocks members of his own party with his comments on gun control. >> take the guns first, go through due process second. >> what the nra is now saying this morning. plus, walmart taking new action on gun sales, and we take you to the church holding a gun commitment ceremony.