alabama that had to deal with large hail and a huge tornado that destroyed hundreds of cars and trucks. luckily though no major injuries reported. the woman at the center of a bazar kidnapping case in california is telling her chilling story exclusively to abc news. >> she was kidnapped from her boyfriend's home, attacked and terrorized before being released. police called it a hoax but not anymore. >> reporter: 29-year-old denise huskins kidnapped from her boyfriend's bed overnight. >> the voice kept saying wake up. this is a robbery. we're not here to harm you. i open my eyes and flashing light. >> they had headphones in their ears and separated. the kidnapper demanded a ransom of two installments of $8500 for her safe return.

>> my only hope was to maybe show him the human that is in front of him. >> reporter: how did you do that? >> i shared with him something that happened when i was younger hoping that maybe knowing i've already been assaulted that he won't want to add to it. but -- >> reporter: he raped you? >> yeah. yeah. >> reporter: the kidnapper decided to release huskins, blind folding and driving her seven hours to huntington beach. >> i thought this is it. i'm going to hear a gunshot and that's it or i'm going to get pushed off a cliff and i thought i was walking me to my death. and then i heard a door close behind me and i pulled up the blind fold and i thought oh, god. he is going to release me.

>> and this entire time, aaron, you go to police. and the moment you walked in the door nobody believed you. >> everything was accusatory and fairly quickly detectives said i don't believe you. if she didn't get the kidnappers to let her go, i would be behind bars. >> there's so many parallels to how i was treated by the kidnappers and how i found out aaron was treated by the good guys. >> reporter: shortly after huskins reappeared the vallejo police department held this press conference. >> we have concluded none of the claims have been substantiated. claims have been substantiated. claims have been substantiated.

they have plundered valuable resources away from our community. >> reporter: three months later another kidnapping, a failed attempt that led to the arrest of her captor. a former attorney. you stood up in court and said i am the woman behind the blind fold. >> he saw me, every part of me but he never looked into my eyes. and so i wanted to make sure that he saw me and he did. >> and you can see the entire interview friday night at 10:00. >> they settled with the police department. they sent them a private letter of apology. >> but never publically.

♪ skinny the skinny the ♪ skinny the skinny the skinny the skinny is in the house ♪ skinny the skinny the skinny the skinny is in the house and we're going to start things off with a new group of potential "american idol"s headed to hollywood. >> will ganss watched every second so we didn't have to. >> thank you. a little bit of sibling rivalry.

the competition was especially fierce on last night's episode and as everyone with a sibling knows, there's no rivalry fiercer than a sibling rivalry. she played the guitar while her little sister sang and then the judges asked paten to back her up to sing. take a look. ♪ dreams were song birds lightning was desired ♪ ♪ this whole house would have burned down a long time ago ♪ >> so after that performance the judges unanimously voted peyton through to hollywood but luckily for the girls parents, taran also made it through though that was not unanimous. a little drama. >> it's going to be interesting

at the dinner table. by the way peyton's all done up. i think she was plotting this all along. i'll play the guitar for you. no problem. and she's singing in the bathroom hoping somebody hears her. >> uh-huh. but with no sister to compete with, from portland was pretty confident in herself. says people compare her to ariana grande but take a listen at her attempt at maria's famous whistle tone. >> wow. >> i think she nailed it. >> i don't know it sounds like the tea is ready or something. aka bikini girl on the will-o-meter. but what do you guys think?

>> i think she sounds a bit like kendis. he does his whistle tones. ♪ loving you is easy because >> there it is. you're through to hollywood. >> thank you, thank you. >> and while confidence like hers has to be learned, some are better home grown. from dakota, oklahoma. it's the hometown to carrie underwood. kennedy even got to sing with carry in fifth grade and after singing "firework" right in front of katy perry last night. >> how did she do? >> nailed it. yeah. because she is following along in carry's foot steps and got through herself. >> can you imagine singing firework to katy perry herself. there's something in the water in that town.

>> she wasn't the only one celebrating last night. lionel, luke threw a surprise birthday party for katy. cody martin who sang happy birthday for the judge and he got a ticket to hollywood for happy birthday alone. that's the first time in "american idol" history. i think he's a little surprised he made it through for that song too. >> it was a nice rendition of happy birthday. >> he did. and finally lionel's hair was a major plot point but this time it was for his throwback photos from the '70s. and i promised you -- >> you did indeed. >> and so here we are. wow.

>> oh, wait, there's a mustache? >> oh, yeah, perfect. >> forgot the mustaches at home. ♪ is it me you're looking for i can see it in your eyes ♪

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try cool mint zantac. no pill relieves heartburn faster. ♪ i don't care if the sun don't shine ♪ ♪ i do my drinking in the evening time ♪ we're swinging into this bonus round with the sounds of martin. >> celine deon is there. elton john. brittany spears, jennifer lopez. all setting up shop and now another fellow a-lister. ♪ say it ain't so i will not go turn the lights off ♪ ♪ carry me home

>> like i said the a-listers. blink 182. >> yes. >> mosh pit anybody? >> yes. mosh pit at the casino. the posh punk band will be performing at the palms as part of the kings weekend residency starting in may. dude ranch, what a great album. >> really? okay. >> i'm in. who's with me? okay. >> so the youngsters starring in stranger things are about to get paid more in the next year than most of us will make in our lifetime. >> contract negotiations went pretty well. the kids who play mike, dustin, lucas and will, 13 to 16 and they're reported to go from $30,000 an episode to $250,000 an episode. >> and the breakout star some say $350,000 an episode. making about $3.1 million for about three months of work.

while netflix doesn't release ratings, many report it to be their most popular show. >> any report on how much you make? >> i've been here three years, i haven't made 3,000. just a week after collapsing on stage at a concert in ireland. >> his wife, faith hill apologizing to the crowd. and overnight he shared his unique treatment for that. >> deep sea fishing. he posted this with the caption hydrating. this is apparently one of his favorite hobbies now. >> he won't be lacking for water. >> i think you have to drink the water. can't just be in it. samuel jackson has delivered so many performances in modern classics. but he dines with judge judy. >> dining with a boss.

good tuesday morning i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm diane macedo. severe storms are battering the southeast overnight. hail has caused damage in alabama and mississippi. the brother of the man accused of killing 17 people at a florida high school has been arrested for allegedly trespassing on that campus. zachary cruz told authorities he wanted to reflect on the school shooting and soak it in, in his words. saudi's crown prince visited the white house today. the talks are expected to play a role in whether the president pulls the u.s. out of the agreement. and researchers say a new male birth control pill is safe and effective. it's being hailed in a major break through in efforts to create a product similar to

female birth control. those are some of our top stories on this tuesday, march 20th. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now." >> so what we're saying is the camera's panning and he's like just skip that. >> let's go straight to the news. we are going to start with the breaking news overnight and it is happening at this hour. tornado shelters are open in many parts of the southeast right now. >> but the strongest cells, those yellow areas you see are moving into northern georgia. >> one of the tornados touched down just south of decatur. >> and a little further south was hit not only by twisters but by hail. drivers had to pull over and seek shelter. and northern mississippi got hit hard.

but it's not just the southeast that's going to see extreme weather in the next couple of days. accuweather's paul williams has the forecast. >> just how much snow are we talking about? we could see three to six inches boston to new york. and for the deep south, another round of severe storms to tornados targeting florida and

on the west side, potential localized flooding. in fact, evacuations have already started and we're looking for the atmospheric river to supply all the moisture you need for that flooding. and today puerto rico marks six months since they slammed into the island as a category four storm. some estimates now put the death toll at over 1,000. more than 100,000 customers are still without power six months later. it's the worst natural disaster on the island in decades. trump outlined his plan. he wants more medication-based treatment and fewer prescriptions for opioids. he says building the border will will cut down on heroin coming into the country. >> here with the details. >> reporter: in manchester, new hampshire, the heart of the opioid crisis, president trump making a controversial announcement. >> the ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty -- >> reporter: the centerpiece of his new plan to combat the scourge of the opioid addiction. the president says he's talked about executing drug dealers with foreign leaders who allow it. >> you know the countries i'm talking about. we don't have much of a drug problem. i say how come? we have zero tolerance for drug dealers.

i say what does that mean? that means we have the death penalty for drug dealers. >> reporter: that new policy falling flat with some stakeholders like some who is part of a round table in 2016. >> it's laughable that introducing a death penalty for drug dealing could possibly have a positive effect. i'd like to know who president trump talked to from the recovery community in concocting this plan. because the recovery community by and large wants to see increased investment in services and help. >> reporter: he and some of his fellow activists felt they could make a bigger statement by protesting it instead.

well, facebook's problems are mounting. after news it allowed its data to be used for a company working for the trump campaign. it drove the entire stock market lower. the security chief may be leaving facebook after all. and a british network's hidden camera seems to capture officials of that company harnessing facebook's data. a fourth bombing in less than three weeks has left people afraid. this showed a different level of skill. two men were hurt in that attack. but in previous attacks, two people also died. in total four have been injured in those attacks. all of the bombings happened within a few miles of the university of texas's campus. students are making sure to be extra careful.

>> all we can do is be vigilant and be aware of our surroundings. >> it's definitely unsettling, especially that they're coming closer in time and happening the night everyone's getting back to school is definitely worrisome. >> now the grandfather of one of the victims in sunday's attack says nails were embedded in his grandson's knees. police and fbi is asking whoever is are responsible to contact them. they're looking into the first traffic fatality that involved an uber test car and a pedestrian. >> reporter: a deadly crash involving a self-driving car in arizona. >> our investigation did not show at this time that there were significant signs of the vehicle slowing down. >> reporter: uber suspending its self-driving tests across the country after police say one of its autonomous cars hit and killed a woman.

she was walking with her bike outside the crosswalk when she was hit. there was a driver in the vehicle but he wasn't in control when the crash happened. >> these vehicles are trained to see pedestrians, cyclists, red lights. and so it's really unclear what went wrong here. >> reporter: uber's ceo repeating the statement saying they will work with local law enforcement to understand what happened. in arizona they're legal as long as they're registered and insured. >> i think it's going to have a ripple effect across the entire self-driving industry. >> reporter: this tesla crash in los angeles in january where no one was injured. but this appears to be the first case of a pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle. their the national transportation safety board will now investigate.

and a federal court hearing is set for the tough abortion ban that bans abortions after 15 weeks. the lone abortion clinic sued. they're seeking to block a law because a woman at least 15 weeks pregnant is set to have an abortion today. and a birth control pill for men may soon be a reality. they say it's safe and effective. but has some of the same side effects of birth control pills. weight gain among them. they note more study is needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness. the last big hope for male birth control fell apart in 2016 because the drug caused liver damage. an offer you can't refuse, if you love new york style pizza that is.

>> they're unveiling a product that can replicate the exact composition of the city's water. they say new york style water will allow you to make new york style pizza anywhere in the world. >> it's also set to work on bagels. that's why they say they're better here than other places. the concept is making its debut in the international pizza expo in las vegas. >> how is your new york water? >> delicious. it doesn't taste like pizza though. >> new yorkers think they have the best tasting water in the country. >> great water, great bagels and great pizza. it's true. >> new york is also very humble. >> the most humble of anywhere ever. >> i'll take my atlanta water. wendy williams is back on the air. and lost in the california desert for five days -- ironically i'm drinking water when we're talking about this one. he's revealing what he craved the most during his ordeal.

he's revealing what he craves s the most during his ordeal.

♪

♪ we're hearing some new details this morning about how 13 california siblings rescued from their so-called house of horrors are readjusting to their new lives. >> the older siblings are actually living together in a home in california. here is matt gutman. >> reporter: held captive for their entire lives, the eldest turpin siblings are finally free. in an exclusive interview, their attorney says the seven adult siblings were released from the corona regional medical center thursday. they're new in a rural home and reunite would the family dogs you see playing in this youtube video. >> what's their favorite new experience been so far? >> moving into new bedrooms where they have been able to pick out their own bedding. closets with their clothes in them.

be able to have a bathroom handy that they can use and probably most of all just to go outside. >> reporter: osborne, a long-time advocate for children calls it a type of rebirth. what do they think the outside world is like? >> they're looking forward to going to restaurants and stores and movies and going for walks and shopping and all those things. >> reporter: prosecutors say david and louise turpin systematically imprisoned and starved 12 of their 13 children and now they're obsessed with food. >> experiencing making ice cream sundays with hot fudge on top. i saw them do that this week and they love mexican food. >> reporter: they've also been watching a lot of movies. their favorite. >> the force is with you young skywalker. >> reporter: the "star wars" series. their parents had taken them to trips like las vegas and disneyland but those trips were rare.

they've never driven a car before themselves? >> no. >> reporter: and it kind of feels like you're saying they haven't been in a car all that often. >> doesn't seem to be something that happened that often. >> reporter: in january their 17-year-old system posting on youtube songs with titles like "where is the key." escaped and alerted authorities. now that 17-year-old sibling had only been on social media are for a few weeks when she began chatting with a man who told her what's happening in her home was wrong, encouraged her to escape and alert authorities. we learned the younger six siblings have been split into two separate homes. the older and younger ones have skyped together. and now they're hoping to plan for a reunion. guys.

>> our thanks to matt. >> unbelievable to think about what they've been through. >> and david and louise turpin have pleaded not guilty to more than 40 charges of abuse and then some. also in southern california a hiker has been recovered after being stuck for days in joshua tree park. >> he went to celebrate his birthday with a quick half day hike but he slipped, falling 20 feet, injuring his left leg. from there he crawled for miles, yelling for help and eventually ran out of food and supplies. was forced to drink his own urine but on his fifth day rescuers found him. >> i told them i had been fantasizing about gatorade. you know. you're on your last breath of life and i would think you'd be fantasizing about much greater things but for some reason i was just fantasizing about chugging down a gatorade and that's what i did.

>> he suffered fractures in his left leg but he's expected to make a full recovery. coming up. wendy williams makes her return to the air waves. there she is. waves. >> and hear what she's learned from her time away. y really, nor does it and yet it happens. i didn't do it 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

there she is. for several weeks now fans of wendy williams have been asking her how you doin'? she's been off show due to a health scare. >> and abc has the exclusive interview. >> reporter: she's the talk show host known for telling it like it is. but last month wendy williams found herself the center of her own hot topics. >> i've been trending what the hell is going on with wendy?

>> reporter: she battles hyperthyroidism and grave's disease. and this is from the woman who told me not that long ago i don't take days off. >> i don't take sick days. i've never taken a sick day. it was a perfect storm that had been brewing, i have to say, internally, knowing my body since late july. >> i mean you fainted on the show and were back after the commercial break. your health was at the bottom of the list. >> i was very deficient in vitamin d. my internist told me i'm one of the worst cases. i have vertigo and that was affecting my equilibrium. >> reporter: she says she's anxious to get back on the air and share an important message. >> particularly we're taking

care of children, home, our husbands. we take care of everybody but ourselves. >> we put ourselves last. >> yeah. i'm not doing that anymore, amy. wendy first. if there was one thing i could request from the wendy watchers. please don't ask me how i feel. when i see you in the grocery store, in the street, please don't ask how i feel with the puppy eyes because i'm going to snap how do you feel? >> nobody likes a pity party. >> i'm not that girl. i'm wendy. come on now. >> reporter: what should they say to you? >> how you doin'? so i can say all right. >> an interesting technique to keep her tears from smudging her makeup. she said she uses q-tips. put them in the tear ducts and

keeps the makeup from smudging.

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♪ made some bad i've acted out my life on stage ♪ that is 26-year-old legal secretary from birmingham, alabama giving the "american idol" judges goose bumps with his rendition of "a song for you." >> the cover earned him a golden ticket to hollywood. but some contestants are going with original music like this next artist who's gaining attention for the song "l.a. is lonely." ♪ i'm just going to need a little more time ♪ >> reporter: ricky manning has been performing for much of his

23 years. the west hollywood resident admits his nerves kicked in a bit when he joined a room full of other hopefuls and then he had to face the judges. ♪ l.a. is lonely >> that is so pretty. >> thank you. >> you are really good. incredible. >> and it's a yes you're going to hollywood. come on, you guys. >> what's the first thing that goes through your head as you're staring at three music superstars. >> when i walked in the room, it's really surreal and you try to be in the moment as much as a you can and the "american idol" set is so iconic and i've been watching this show since i was eight years old.

so to have the "american idol" behind me and three celebrity judges, really strange but one of the greatest experiences i've ever had. >> reporter: he knows every week he needs to bring it. what is it about your music that makes you stand out from the other people that want to make it to the live shows? >> i think what stands out is it's an original sound. i'm inspired by lot of motown and stuff like that. so i'm trying to bring old vibed with new pop and new music like that and that's what i grew up on, jackson 5, stevie wonder, stuff like that. so old music is cool music. >> reporter: abc 7, eyewitness news. >> we wish him luck. so many potential stars right there. >> like this one. >> i'll sing a song for you. that's the news for this half hour.

this morning on "world news now" the race to find the austin bomber. >> the texas city paralyzed after a series of explosions. police have been flooded with calls about suspicious p this morning on "world news now" the race to find the austin bomber. >> the texas city paralyzed after a series of explosions. police have been flooded with calls about suspicious packages and now trying a new approach, asking whoever is responsible to call them. also this morning powerful storms are on the move striking the southeast hard. several possible tornados have left behind a path of destruction in alabama. with damaging hail. we have the latest storm on the track on this first day of spring. and in a bizarre twist, the brother of the florida school shooting suspect is under arrest after being found on that campus. and what happens when your friends can't get off from work to go to your wedding? you bring the wedding to them. and when the venue is walmart, you've already got everything you need for a party.

it's tuesday, march 20th. the first day of spring. >> yes. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now." ♪ let the sunshine >> who's with -- >> sunshine. it's spring time people. >> we have three of the fifth dimensions all here. happy first day of spring. doesn't it feel like spring all over the place. >> can't wait to report on all the good weather. >> can't wait to report on all the good weather. >> no, it's not the case. it's really not good no matter where you are in the country. but we're going to start first in austin, texas and the intensified hunt for a serial bomber. >> they've all fanned out trying to find a suspect. so far this month four explosions have killed and injured people. >> they say the attacker is even more sinister than they first thought.

here is marcus moore. >> reporter: more than 500 agents flooding austin, texas, a massive manhunt intensifying. >> we're dealing with what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point. >> reporter: 8:32 sunday night. a bomb exploding. seriously injuring two men. the fourth attack in less than 20 days with this device detonated by a trip wire. >> it's more sophisticated. it's not targeted to individuals. >> reporter: the massive blast site littered with evidence tags. one of the unsuspecting victims tripping a nearly invisible wire connected to a device placed several feet away. >> pay attention to bags, boxes, backpacks, anything that looks out of place. >> reporter: richard harrington heard the latest blast.

>> my first thought that's my granddaughter. she could have run down the street and tripped a wire. >> reporter: the fear of more devices triggering a neighborhood lockdown, school buses kept away. authorities still have this neighborhood street closed and they're urging authorities to stay home for their safety. they're not ruling out any motive, including a hate crime, even though the latest two victims were white. desperate for answers, the police now asking the bomber to contact them. what kind of a person would do this? >> that's what we're trying to figure out and that's one of the reasons we would like the bomber to reach out and talk to us. >> reporter: marcus moore, abc news austin texas. >> marcus, thank you. and appealing to the people or person responsible to call them.

>> joining us live is former fbi special agent. this sounds like a strange, weird, odd strategy. has it worked in the past? has it worked in the past? and what are they doing? >> one, it's a way to reach out to the bomber on a human level. similar to the way hostage negotiations are handled. >> i mean this isn't someone who stole something from a store. you're talking about someone going after victims. does this kind of an approach usually appeal to someone like that? >> they usually don't. but you never know. they've got their reason. and we've seen some serial killers that have done this type of communication with law enforcement where it's almost like a game to them and that's

what they might be thinking is going on with the suspect. >> give me a sense of the profile of this person, based on your years of experience. clearly with the use of the trip wires and bombs and packages. this is somebody who knew what they were doing. what else would you say is a profile in this suspect? >> they're clearly sophisticated when it comes to making bombs, explosions, and so on. you have three devices on the doorstep and now he decides let's use a trip wire. that was probably done by design because they probably saw law enforcement and the media is paying attention. so there's a lot more risk to put a package at the doorstep. so he puts the package, the bomb on the sidewalk -- >> do you think it's a former cop or law enforcement person or somebody who used to make bombs?

>> absolutely. that's definitely on the table as far as the investigation. they're going to be looking at anybody that would have any kind of bomb making explosive experience. former military, some chemists. you'd be surprised. some of the academics that deal with chemistry and do experiments. they have the ability to develop an explosive device and you add in some type of electric experience. that's where they can make a device as well. >> scary to think one that they don't have anybody in mind and two that that person is probably an expert in this. >> steve gomez, appreciate your insight on this. >> thanks, steve. >> tense moments in austin. and a big story we're following overnight. the breaking news. the severe storms. >> spawning tornados and even damaging homes. >> pretty much the entire southeast is seeing bad weather.

but the worst is in alabama and georgia. >> they've destroyed homes in limestone county. there were hailstorms there and to the west in northern mississippi towns like ripley. several schools sent students home early because the weather was that bad. >> accuweather's paul williams joining us. >> storm will impact the ohio valley region as it strengthens, as it walks along the east coast. roads wet to slushy at the least. and another round of severe storms with targeted area of tornados and florida. and for the west, tuesday up to thursday bracing for heavy rain with this pineapple express that's going to supply heavy showers and widespread flooding and triggering mudslides. and the brother of the florida school shooting suspect has been arrested for allegedly trespassing at the school.

they stopped zachary cruz for allegedly riding a skateboard on school property. he told them he wanted to reflect on the school shooting and soak it in. he was ordered to stay away from the school. president trump is calling for the death penalty for drug dealers which he outlined in a speech in manchester, new hampshire. the state has been hard hit by opioids as have other working class and rural communities that voted for him. >> the ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty. maybe our country's not ready for that. it's possible that our country's not ready for that and i can understand it, maybe. although personally i can't understand that. >> the president's plan also calls for more treatment and encouraging doctors to write fewer prescriptions.

opioids killed more than 42,000 people in the u.s. in 2016. the supreme court rejected a request by pennsylvania republicans to draw new congressional maps. the justices did not offer an explanation for their unanimous decision. in january the supreme court tossed out another congressional map. chases usually take place on the ground. >> this was an interesting one. check out the latest l.a. chase. >> high speed. look at them go. >> on the l.a. river. yep, that's a river in l.a. in a giant pink inflatable flamingo. they made it several miles. >> several slow miles. police, however, despite our

amusement, they apparently were not amused. they made them deflate it and then they looked like they handed them some citations. the three men describe themselves as youtubers and apologize to the police for wasting their time. >> and said their main concern on the river was needles and diseases. >> i don't know if my top concern is needles in a giant pink flamingo. but bravery, there it is. >> that's an indication that california has been hit by storms because l.a. river isn't usually like that. it's a dry bed. >> why is it called a river? they need to rename it. work on it. >> exactly. coming up we head from the waterways to the roadways with this car flying off snowy street. but wait till you see what the crowd did to keep the race going.

>> and bella thorne is revealing a dark and difficult childhood in hollywood and hear how the fans she's trying to empower give her strength as well. and behind the scenes pics on instagram. and behind the scenes pics on instagram.

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police in bermuda say they found the body of a student who disappeared over the weekend. >> he was in bermuda for a rugby tour. and last seen leaving a bar around midnight sunday morning. police say they haven't ruled out foul play. >> back in his home town of media, pennsylvania friends and family gathered last night for a prayer vigil. federal investigators are heading to the scene of what is apparently the first fatal crash involving a self-driving car. >> it happened in tempe. gio benitez with more. >> reporter: uber suspending its self-driving tests across the

country after police say one of its autonomous cars hit and killed a woman in arizona. 49-year-old elaine was reportedly walking with her bike outside of the crosswalk when she was hit. a human operator was inside the self-driving car at the time. >> our investigation did not show at this time there were significant signs of the vehicle slowing down. >> reporter: in arizona autonomous vehicles are legal as long as they're registered and insured. this is likely the first pedestrian death involving an autonomous vehicle. uber's ceo saying they will work with local law enforcement to understand what happened. >> it's incredible. there have been so many tests of these vehicles over the years and many people were hoping that this one, at least, might be a success. >> the computers at least learn from each other's mistakes. >> they do. coming up in our next half hour, the case referred to as

gone girl. hear what happened after new evidence came to light. but first actress bella thorn on the sexual abuse she suffered while struggling to make it in hollywood. ♪when you've got...♪ ♪...nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea!♪ ♪nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea!♪ here's pepto bismol! ah. ♪nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea!♪ but zzzquil is different have pain medicine because why would you take a pain medicine when all you want is good sleep? zzzquil: a non-habit forming sleep-aid that's not for pain, just for sleep.

i'm bella thorne from "shake it up" and you're watching disney channel. i'm bella thorne from "shake it up" and you're watching disney channel. >> she has gone from disney channel to becoming a fearless leader on social media and she's recently opened up about suffering sexual abuse. >> and hopes her story can empower others to speak up. and we caught up with her at her home for "nightline." >> reporter: through the rose colored lens of social media, it may look like bella thorne has it all. lighting up the red carpet and dazzling photographers on cover shoots. on instagram more than 17 million fans follow the 20 year

old's every post. but scroll a bit further and you'll find a raw and unfiltered side of the star. you are very honest and real at using your social media. you've announced you're bisexual on twitter. >> it sounds cheesy but it's a reason for change because i'm lucky enough to have had the background that is not the best background and yet i am where i am. i have a platform to speak out. >> reporter: to use her authenticity to show fans they can be themselves. >> started modeling when i was six weeks old, out of the womb, literally. and then i modelled every single day. >> reporter: she stars on free form's famous in love where she play as girl navigating a hollywood machine. >> why are you such a horrible human being. >> people look at me now and they're still like please be that girl.

>> reporter: this pressure to maintain that perfect image became very real after her father died suddenly in a motorcycle accident. at just nine years old, bella became the bread winner for her family. did you have money to eat? a home? >> we were very close to actually just literally being on the street. >> reporter: now at 20 years old, she's using her experience to show the world who she really is. >> you either love me or you hate me. no in between. >> reporter: opening up to fans on her struggles like acne to more serious issues like the #me too movement. saying she was sexually abused from it day i can remember -- >> i said look at my twitter. is this okay? and he was like what do you mean is this okay? this is great.

you have nothing to be ashamed of, bella. why wouldn't this be okay to say? and i was like, man, that's what i've wanted to hear my whole life is that you don't have to be ashamed. >> reporter: support from her fans pouring in. bella moved to tears, posting on snapchat. >> reading about all the people sharing their sexual abuse stories with me and i just want to say i'm really proud of all you guys. i'm really proud. >> reporter: i love that you have an art room here and anything goes. here at her los angeles home she takes us to a place she says she can best express herself. >> when so many things are piled on your plate and you're like i can't do this and then i paint. coming up we have an excellent mix planned for this

first day of spring. >> a food challenge is next. >> a food challenge is next.

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she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. but once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it. i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. you are free to go. tide and downy together.

welcome back and it is your spring -- >> happy spring time everybody. >> -- happy first day of spring. and there's been this old myth you can balance an egg -- because it's the equinox here at mid-day. >> yeah. >> so i think it's a little bit of a myth. >> i'm going to keep working on it. >> whoa, whoa, whoa. look at that. >> what is this? >> it balanced. want me to try it again? i can do it anywhere. whoa.

it is magic. >> he has double stick tape. >> it is just magic. >> in that case i can do it too. look at that. >> happy first day of spring. >> not sure the equinox is helping that much. >> nobody saw the tape. so today we get 12 hours of daylight, 12 hours at night. fairbanks, alaska will see 12 hours and 17 minutes. but that's always been a myth. it's always been a myth. you can't balance -- >> i've seen people do it. >> no. >> i've seen people do it. you remember how long it took me to flip the water bottle? >> let's just leave with my beautiful example here. over to west manchester township, pennsylvania.

where they married in the garden center of a walmart. so the couple met working at the walmart. needless to say they have a lot of friends who are also co- workers. it turns out walmart's open 24 hours. so there was no way for them to have all the guests they wanted at the wedding. so mohammed to the mountain. they brought the wedding to walmart. >> going to the walmart and we're going to get married. >> the perk is what could you possibly need at a party that walmart doesn't have? interesting scene in poland, a group of diehard poland, it's called. motor sports fans rallied together to help a car out of the ditch. that wasn't part of the plan but the fans were like no, we're going to help you out. >> that car made of cardboard? >> look at that.

this morning on "world news now" breaking news. severe weather on the move right now. damaging storms raking across the south as parts of the east brace for heavy snow. and in the west, evacuation orders will be in effect. also this morning watching wall street as the scandal involving facebook drags down stocks. the company loses billions as it grapples with a story involving 50 million user accounts. a young couple was talking about a horrific experience after the young woman was kidnapped and attacked. police said it was all a hoax. hear how the truth finally came out.

and it's a gift that keeps on giving. night two brought a serious sibling rivalry. a girl who sings like mariah carey. okay. and throwback pics of lionel richie. wow, is that from his commodore days? it's all in the skinny. what's the commodores? i know you're asking. do they know who they are? >> i think so. >> i had the 64 and moved up to the 128. computer jokes. that will be here forever. we'll get to that a little bit later on. but we're going to start with breaking news. severe storms across the country really impacting in the final hours really of winter. >> we're tracking a new nor'easter and mudslides in california. but first let's check out the

damaging storms in the south. hundreds of cars were damaged at auto dealers. about midway between huntsville and birmingham. >> and they knocked down homes, trees and power lines. there were no reports of major injuries. but many roads were closed. and the school systems let out early to allow students and staff to get home safely and many of them are closed again today. >> let's get the latest from accuweather's paul williams. good morning. >> the storm will impact the ohio valley region but also roanoke, d.c. and boston and increasingly windy for us along the coast. we're watching for at least six inches down towards d.c. one to three at the very least. for the deep south another round of severe storms along the east coast. targeted area for tornados. and orlando, tampa, gainesville flash flooding. then to the west big time storms will begin to return.

we're looking for widespread soaking rain. but it's going to be too much of a good thing at a one time. evacuations have already started. >> so there's several danger spots all around the country. i was watching coverage for alabama. there's one area that a school got destroyed by the storm. so good thing is they were all on spring break at the time. >> lucky there was no one inside. we're also watching the markets. they've been volatile lately, especially after facebook allowed a political data firm to gain access to facebook users. >> the dow fell more than 300 points. >> founder mark zuckerberg lost $6 billion on paper. many legislatures are demanding he testify about the misuse of that personal information. >> video shows executives from the company that collected the data making a sales pitch to an

undercover reporter. >> if you're collecting data on people and you're profiling them, that gives you more insight that you can use to know how to segment the population, to give them messaging about issues they care about and we use that in america. >> cambridge analytica also spoke about sending attractive women to candidates home to get them in trouble. the chief security officer is leaving as a result of the scandal. but he denies that saying he's spending more time on election security. and lawyers on both sides of the russia probe have met face to face for the first time. reports say they worked out possible topics president trump might face if he was questioned. they include what he may have known about former national security advisor flynn's contacts. and calling the probe a plot to

frame the president. and a moment the bomb shattered a community in austin, texas. the fourth explosion in less than three weeks has law enforcement scrambling as fear grows among the city's residents. >> reporter: in this new video we hear the terrifying moments a homemade bomb blew up in the suburban neighborhood of austin, texas. the fourth explosion in less than 20 days. >> we're dealing with what we expect to be serial bomber. >> reporter: with more than 500 agents spanning out across the capitol city. the latest blast on sunday night was detonated by a trip wire injuring two men in their early 20s. >> it's more sophisticated. it's not targeted to individuals. >> reporter: the unsuspecting victims tripping over a wire connected to a device placed several feet away. >> my first thought was that's my granddaughter.

she could have ran down the street and tripped over a wire. >> reporter: school buses were kept away as investigators searched for any clues that could bring them closer to catching the bomber. >> what we need is people paying attention for suspicious objects, bags, backpacks, anything that looks out of place. >> reporter: more than 800 tips have poured in across the city. >> we've had a lot of good tips coming in. and at this point we have people that we've looked at but there's no leading suspect at this time. >> jim ryan, abc news, austin texas. some homeowners had a real scare after grenades were found in a neighbor's basement. they evacuated 10 homes and blocked off streets after several hours the bomb squad safely detonated the devices. the home owner had no idea how they ended up in her basement.

and consumer news now. claire's has filed a chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. it's looking to emerge before the busy holiday shopping season gets underway. it plans to close 92 underperforming stores. and the weinstein company has been struggling since harvey weinstein was fired. and ending nondisclosure agreements that prevented alleged victims or witnesses from discussing their experiences. let's move on to the celebrity shaking up politics. >> cynthia nixon, actress, best known for playing miranda on sex and the city is running in new york. she's taking on governor andrew cuomo. >> it can't just be business as usual anymore. if we're going to get that root problem of inequity, we have to

turn the system upside down. >> she already has the support of kristen davis who played charlotte on the show. so that's one. >> and this is her campaign video she put out and had this inspirational sounding music. had her on a subway that was working apparently. >> it certainly would not be the first actor we see transfer into politics. >> and cuomo saying miranda warning. coming up in the skinny. katy perry celebrates her birthday with the rest of america on idol and they busted out the puppies to celebrate. >> no better way to celebrate. also reports of tornados and damaging hail in the south. first, here's a look at today's forecast. also reports of tornados and damaging hail in the south. first, here's a look at today's forecast.

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gums are good. so is my check up! crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. we're tracking breaking news we're tracking breaking news overnight and checking out two auto dealerships in northern alabama that had to deal with large hail and a huge tornado that destroyed hundreds of cars and trucks.

luckily though no major injuries reported. the woman at the center of a bizarre kidnapping case in california is telling her chilling story exclusively to abc news. >> she was kidnapped from her boyfriend's home, attacked and terrorized before being released. police called it a hoax but not anymore. >> reporter: 29-year-old denise huskins kidnapped from her boyfriend's bed overnight. >> the voice kept saying wake up. this is a robbery. we're not here to harm you. i open my eyes and flashing light. >> they had headphones in their ears and separated. the kidnapper demanded a ransom of two installments of $8500 for

her safe return. >> my only hope was to maybe show him the human that is in front of him. >> reporter: how did you do that? >> i shared with him something that happened when i was younger hoping that maybe knowing i've already been assaulted that he won't want to add to it. but -- >> reporter: he raped you? >> yeah. yeah. >> reporter: the kidnapper decided to release huskins, blind folding and driving her seven hours to huntington beach. >> i thought this is it. i'm going to hear a gunshot and that's it or i'm going to get pushed off a cliff and i thought i was walking me to my death. and then i heard a door close behind me and i pulled up the blind fold and i thought oh, god. he is going to release me.

>> and this entire time, aaron, you go to police. and the moment you walked in the door nobody believed you. >> everything was accusatory and fairly quickly detectives said i don't believe you. if she didn't get the kidnappers to let her go, i would be behind bars. >> there's so many parallels to how i was treated by the kidnappers and how i found out aaron was treated by the good guys. >> reporter: shortly after huskins reappeared the vallejo police department held this press conference. >> we have concluded none of the claims have been substantiated. they have plundered valuable resources away from our community. >> reporter: three months later another kidnapping, a failed attempt that led to the arrest of her captor. a former attorney. you stood up in court and said i am the woman behind the blind

fold. >> he saw me, every part of me but he never looked into my eyes. and so i wanted to make sure that he saw me and he did. >> and you can see the entire interview friday night at 10:00. >> they settled with the police department. they sent them a private letter of apology. >> but never publically. >> they settled with the police department. they sent them a private letter of apology. >> but never publically.

♪ skinny the skinny the skinny the skinny is in the house and we're going to start things off with a new group of potential "american idol"s headed to hollywood. >> will ganss watched every second so we didn't have to. >> thank you. a little bit of sibling rivalry. the competition was especially fierce on last night's episode and as everyone with a sibling knows, there's no rivalry fiercer than a sibling rivalry.

she played the guitar while her little sister sang and then the judges asked payton to back her up to sing. take a look. ♪ dreams were song birds lightning was desired ♪ ♪ this whole house would have burned down a long time ago ♪ >> so after that performance the judges unanimously voted payton through to hollywood but luckily for the girls parents, taran also made it through though that was not unanimous. a little drama. >> it's going to be interesting at the dinner table. by the way payton's all done up. i think she was plotting this all along. i'll play the guitar for you.

no problem. and she's singing in the bathroom hoping somebody hears her. >> uh-huh. but with no sister to compete with, from portland was pretty confident in herself. says people compare her to ariana grande but take a listen at her attempt at the famous whistle tone. >> wow. >> i think she nailed it. >> i don't know it sounds like the tea is ready or something. aka bikini girl on the will-o-meter. but what do you guys think? >> i think she sounds a bit like kendis. he does his whistle tones.

♪ loving you is easy because >> there it is. you're through to hollywood. >> thank you, thank you. >> and while confidence like hers has to be learned, some are better home grown. from dakota, oklahoma. it's the hometown to carrie underwood. kennedy even got to sing with carry in fifth grade and after singing "firework" right in front of katy perry last night. >> how did she do? >> nailed it. yeah. because she is following along in carry's foot steps and got through herself. >> can you imagine singing firework to katy perry herself. there's something in the water in that town. >> she wasn't the only one celebrating last night. lionel, luke threw a surprise

birthday party for katy. cody martin who sang happy birthday for the judge and he got a ticket to hollywood for happy birthday alone. that's the first time in "american idol" history. i think he's a little surprised he made it through for that song too. >> it was a nice rendition of happy birthday. >> he did. and finally lionel's hair was a major plot point but this time it was for his throwback photos from the '70s. and i promised you -- >> you did indeed. >> and so here we are. wow. >> oh, wait, there's a mustache? >> oh, yeah, perfect. >> forgot the mustaches at home.

♪ is it me you're looking for i can see it in your eyes ♪ >> oh, wait, there's a mustache? >> oh, yeah, perfect. >> forgot the mustaches at home. ♪ is it me you're looking for i can see it in your eyes ♪

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try cool mint zantac. no pill relieves heartburn faster. ♪ i don't care if the sun don't shine ♪ ♪ i do my drinking in the ♪ i don't care if the sun don't shine ♪ ♪ i do my drinking in the evening time ♪ we're swinging into this bonus round with the sounds of martin. >> celine deon is there. elton john. britney spears, jennifer lopez. all setting up shop and now another fellow a-lister. ♪ say it ain't so i will not go turn the lights off ♪ ♪ carry me home >> like i said the a-listers. blink 182. >> yes. >> mosh pit anybody?

>> yes. mosh pit at the casino. the posh punk band will be performing at the palms as part of the kings weekend residency starting in may. dude ranch, what a great album. >> really? okay. >> i'm in. who's with me? okay. >> so the youngsters starring in stranger things are about to get paid more in the next year than most of us will make in our lifetime. >> contract negotiations went pretty well. the kids who play mike, dustin, lucas and will, 13 to 16 and they're reported to go from $30,000 an episode to $250,000 an episode. >> and the breakout star some say $350,000 an episode. making about $3.1 million for about three months of work.

while netflix doesn't release ratings, many report it to be their most popular show. >> any report on how much you make? >> i've been here three years, i haven't made 3,000. just a week after collapsing on stage at a concert in ireland. >> his wife, faith hill apologizing to the crowd. and overnight he shared his unique treatment for that. >> deep sea fishing. he posted this with the caption hydrating. this is apparently one of his favorite hobbies now. >> he won't be lacking for water. >> i think you have to drink the water. can't just be in it. samuel jackson has delivered so many performances in modern classics. but he dines with judge judy. >> dining with a boss.

>> have a great day. making news in america this morning, severe storms slam the south. massive hail, fierce winds and reported twisters ripping roofs off buildings, damaging homes, and this university. one official calls it a war zone. see where the storm heads next and now the threat for significant snow from washington, d.c. to new england. the facebook scandal growing deeper. the company losing $40 billion in value as new questions are raised about how the political consulting firm tied to the trump campaign exploited users' personal information. and this morning, the fallout. after undercover video shows executives talking about using bribery and sex to sway elections. a 19-year-old american turns up dead in bermuda. the teen taking part in a rugby tournament found neaa