america this morning. making news in america this morning, a test for trump. the last major political fight before the midterm elections comes down to the wire in ohio overnight. too close to call. a razor thin margin separating the candidates in a traditionally deep red district. but this morning, president trump declaring victory. what it could all mean for control of congress. a reality check on the road. is the new technology aimed at helping you drive more safely steering you into trouble instead? an alert from the insurance industry this morning about driver assist programs on some of the most popular vehicles. i

they think they're buying their dog then learn they've only leased it. one woman's fight to keep her dog from being possessed. the new methods from dentists on the toothpaste you use and what doesn't help fight cavities. plus, mother nature puts on a dazzling show along the east coast. and see how cows, yeah, you heard me, cows help corral a suspected thief. and proof there's no running from the law, indeed, there as we say good morning on this wednesday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm maggie rulli in for diane macedo. we begin with the breaking news overnight from that high-stakes election in the battleground state of ohio. >> the results are too close to call in a special congressional election that is a key test for president trump and the republicans as they try to keep control of capitol hill. abc's deputy political director maryalice parks is here with the maale. >> reporter: kendis, maggie, republicans are claiming victory

not only is this a race where every vote will count, but both parties have been scouring the race for any clues ahead of november's midterms. overnight just three months before the midterm elections in november, a major political match-up coming down to the final few votes. president trump tweeting that his visit to ohio's 12th congressional district was enough to help republican troy balderson eke out a win in the special election. balderson thanked the president in his speech. >> over the next three months, i'm going to do everything i can to keep america great again. >> reporter: but late into the night, the race still too close to call. so many provisional ballots remain uncounted, the race could end up in a recount. the nail-biter letting both sides claim a victory of sorts. the democrat danny o'connor did make up huge ground in this area that had been a republican stronghold for decades. the last republican member of congress won this ohio district by over 30 points in 2016.

hnash mmized the rac on abc's "this week" over the weekend. >> it's really kind of shocking because this should be just a slam dunk, and it's not. >> reporter: another race the president thought he would be able to put away cleanly, the republican gubernatorial primary in kansas. the president's pick, kris kobach, there still in a dead heat overnight with the incumbent republican governor. you also heard the republican there in ohio say that he would spend the next three months fighting. well, that's because the rematch in this race starts now. the two candidates who squared off in that special election, well, they'll go head-to-head once again in november. kendis, back to you. >> all right, maryalice, round two is three months away, indeed. well, the president is moving ahead with plans to impose more tariffs on chinese imports. another $16 billion mostly in industrial products will be affected but last night he

predicted it'll all work out with china despite the ongoing trade dispute. the president hosted a group of ceos for dinner at his new jersey golf club. and the commerce secretary, in the meantime, wilbur ross, is accused of stealing more than $120 million from his business associates. the allegations outlined in "forbes" magazine stem from lawsuits and nearly two dozen people who know ross. one lawsuit claims ross and his private equity firm charged nearly $50 million in improper fees. the commerce department calls the claims petty nonsense. the cross-examination of rick gates picks up again this morning in washington. gates is the business partner of former trump campaign chairman paul manafort. he faced a brutal day on the stand tuesday as prosecutors tried to chisel away at his credibility and reveal what they call his secret life including an affair. abc's stephanie ramos has the details. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: hey, maggie, good morning. that's right. rick gates will take the stand again today, and defense attorneys for paul manafort will

likely grill him again and try to discredit him, but rick gates is trying to make it very clear to jurors that he's a changed man and that he's ready to tell the truth. after a full day of questioning, rick gates, the government's star witness, will take the stand again today to testify against former trump campaign chairman paul manafort. on trial in alexandria, virginia, manafort is accused of evading taxes on $60 million earned in overseas lobbying and consulting work for a russian-backed ukrainian political party. he's pleaded not guilty to all charges including bank fraud and lying to the irs. in court, gates admitted to hiding millions of dollars in more than a dozen offshore accounts for manafort detailing how his former mentor and boss allegedly instructed him to not report foreign bank accounts to avoid paying taxes on them. did you report payments from foreign bank accounts, the prosecutor asked.

gates answered, mr. manafort directed basically that we did not need to report them. gates has already pled guilty to conspiracy and lying to federal authorities but hasn't been sentenced yet. manafort's lawyers painting him as someone who agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for a more lenient sentence, even questioning gates about his secret life including an extramarital affair paid for with money he embezzled. manafort's lawyers trying to chip away at gates' credibility. gates fighting back insisting he's ready to tell the truth saying, i'm here to take responsibility. gates could face more than 50 years in prison. maggie, kendis, back over to you. >> stephanie ramos in d.c. for us, thank you. we're following breaking news from southern new jersey where two police officers have been shot in what's being called an ambush attack. investigators say at least one t red light in camden. one fired back, but it's unclear if anybody was hit.

authorities say one detective was shot twice in the arm and the other in the hand. both are expected to recover at least one suspect is on the run right now, and this all ing together. those devastating california wildfires are creating a pollution nightmare prompting air quality alerts in several states. the newest blaze, the holy fire, whipped up this firenado in southern california. further north the mendocino complex fire, which is the largest in state history, is forcing one school district to delay the start of classes by two weeks. crews are gaining ground on that monster blaze, but it remains unlikely that it will be contained before september. we're also seeing new images from the deadly fire that devastated the city of redding. os flames.ming in as far away ao

you can hear a chopper in the distance, and homes like this didn't stand a chance. you have a burned stove here and that gas line is still burning. >> last night president trump called the fires a tough situation, and he praised the efforts of fire crews, but he also said the fire disaster is related to years of decision-making that must be changed. meanwhile, overseas a major wildfire in southern spain is forcing new evacuations. spain and portugal have endured record temperatures reaching 113 degrees. well, let's take a look now at your weather forecast for this wednesday morning. excessive heat warnings are posted today up and down the west coast. seattle could hit 92 degrees. only a third of seattle residents actually have air-conditioning. portland, oregon, hits 100. las vegas, 106, and deep within death valley, 121 degrees today. on the east coast in new york a thunderstorm rolled through with dramatic images of lightning.

these photos showing the power of the storms. at least three people across the city were struck by lightning including two at a soccer field. and coming up, an important new message from dentists about the kind of toothpaste you should be using. and also ahead, sneaker scam. the counterfeit bust involving one of the most popular and expensive nikes. and you'll see how cows helped cops corral a suspect on the move. a suspect on

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we're seeing new video of the missing iowa college student mollie tibbetts from the day before she disappeared. the 20-year-old is seen there smiling as you can tell and then dancing, all of this on july

17th. she's been missing for three weeks, and police have received more than 650 tips. the reward in this case is now more than $300,000. the president of the university of southern california has now stepped down over his handling of a sexual abuse scandal involving a campus gynecologist. c.l. max nikias will move into the role of president emeritus. more than 300 women have sued usc claiming the school failed to protect them. hundreds of additional police officers will be patrolling the streets of chicago to prevent a repeat of last weekend's staggering uptick in gun violence. the shootings left 11 people dead and 70 others injured. well, the city's top cop says 600 extra police officers will be deployed this weekend in the areas where most of the violence actually took place. and authorities have busted what's being described as a they've seized counterfeit air jordans worth $73 million. five men are accused of

trafficking the bogus shoes in the new york city area putting nike logos onto generic shoes. each suspect could face up to 20 years behind bars. >> check those air jordans. now a new warning out about the kind of toothpaste you're using to brush your teeth. a new study from dental experts confirmed toothpastes that don't have fluoride which includes many products marked all natural may not help prevent cavities. the study confirmed without fluoride, oral hygiene efforts have no impact on preventing tooth decay. crime fighting cows helped nab a suspected car thief in central florida. this video from a sheriff's helicopter in sanford, the woman straight into a pasture as she ran from police. more than a dozen cows trapped her by a fence and kept her from moving until police could get to her. just when she thought she would have gotten away with it, she would have gotten away with it if not for those rascally cows. >> don't mess with farm animals. that's our motto. coming up, the college rankings are out. the new top party school.

but first one woma to keep her dog from being repossessed after she says she fell victim to pet leasing. and next, the new warning about cars with driver assist technology. are they steering drivers into danger instead away from it? my gums are irritated. i don't have to worry about that, do i? actually, you do. harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. crest gum detoxify works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. and, now there's new crest gum & enamel repair. it gives you clinically proven healthier gums and helps repair and strengthen weakened enamel. gum detoxify and gum & enamel repair, from crest. gums are good, so is my check-up! crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

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talk to your doctor today. see if lyrica can help. we really pride ourselves on making it easy for you >> tech: at safelite autoglass, to get your windshield fixed. with safelite, you can see exactly when we'll be there. saving you time for what you love st >> kid: >> kids vo: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace ♪ we're back now with new concerns about those so-called autopilot systems in cars. tesla has been under fire in the wake of several high-profile and even deadly crashes, and now the company is facing even closer scrutiny along with several other car companies. >> yeah, that's because of new testing from an insurance group that revealed significant flaws with some of the most popular electronic safety systems on the road. the new tests conducted by the insurance institute for highway safety rated the driver assist systems of both the tesla model s and model 3 plus a bmw 5 series, a mercedes-benz e class and a volvo s90.

the focus was on the vehicle's adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and automatic braking. the results were mixed. some cars did better on some tests and worse on others. the tesla model s had particular problems staying in its lane and both teslas ended up hitting stationary objects in front of them. >> and in certain situations where it loses the lane lines, it may have erratic behavior. >> reporter: in fact, some of the researchers found some of the systems mistook shadows on the roads for objects, and others even steered the vehicles into a crash rather than away from it. the research highlighted a tesla crash last march when a tesla model x reportedly with its autopilot engaged slammed into a concrete highway barrier in the san francisco bay area killing a 38-year-old apple engineer. researchers also suggest that videos showing drivers engaged in activities like eating burgers while their cars are on autopilot are sending the wrong message. >> if something unexpected

happened to that driver while he was doing another activity, he doesn't have enough time to respond appropriately, and, again, that can result in, you know, a dangerous situation. it's important to remain engaged, to keep your hands on the steering wheel because this is not full autonomy. it's a driver assistant system. >> good to keep that in mind. by the way, those test results come as tesla's ceo elon musk sends a jolt across wall street with a surprise suggestion that he may take tesla private. the stock buyback at $420 a share would be the biggest leveraged buy-out in history. a new york woman is fighting to keep her beloved family dog dog after a lending company threatened to repossess it. danielle cittadino insists she had no idea she was leasing her golden retriever named max. she said she couldn't afford to buy him outright, so she's been making monthly payments. now she says the leasing company is demanding another $340. she's refusing to pay. >> there's wording in the

paperwork that says you are financing x amount of dollars, although the top of the paperwork does say this is important information about your lease, which to me financing versus a lease are two different animals, so to speak. no pun intended. >> the pet store has agreed to make the final payment so the family can keep max. there's been a rise in complaints about pet leasing, which is now banned in several states. buyers are urged to always read the fine print. >> who knew that was a thing? well, here's a thing, the new college rankings are out, and this morning america has a new top party school. according to "the princeton review," it's the university of delaware in newark based on alcohol consumption and other factors. they did rank other things including best campus food, which went to the univer massachusetts and happiest students were found at the college of william & mary. up next in "the pulse," why working hard and extra hard may

not pay off in the long run. also ahead, every job seeker's nightmare if you're looking to keep your job search on the down low. how this woman found out that her cover was blown. this woman found out her cover was blown. with neulasta onpro patients get their day back... to be with family, or just to sleep in. strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. in a key study neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17% to 1%, a 94% decrease. neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the day after chemo and is used by most patients today. neulasta is for certain cancer patients receiving strong chemotherapy. do not take neulasta if you're allergic to it or neupogen (filgrastim). an incomplete dose could increase infection risk. ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems, allergic reactions, kidney injuries and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away.

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even in accounts receivable. gain botanicals laundry detergent. bring the smell of nature wherever you are. ♪ ♪ time to check "the pulse," and we have some shocking news. working extra hard may not pay off in the long run. >> all right. we're good. so, a study reported in "the financial times" newspaper found working long hours at a relentless pace may not help your career in the long run and can actually hurt your chances of getting promoted. >> researchers found an intense workload over long periods of time reduces the quality of your work, not to mention the toll on your physical health, so the lesson here, take time off, care for yourself and you'll be more successful.

i can get behind this one. >> i think we can all -- >> we are on board. an illinois woman who tried to keep her new job search on the down low had her plans blown up on television. >> ja'naea modest decided to visit a jo break, but she didn't realize a local tv station was also at the fair and that they shot video of her filling out a application. >> so modest learned her cover was blown when a friend's dad was watching the news. she said her current employer hasn't spoken to her yet about our lunch break. >> tough break. if you think you have a full house, well, take a look at this real-life modern family. >> a tennessee woman is living with her husband, her ex-husband and her ex-husband's girlfriend. what could go wrong? they decided to live together to raise their six children and they told "people" magazine, it works for us. >> they call themselves the blended ten and admit their four-bedroom house gets loud and a little hectic at the same time. >> sure. >> really a modern family. and as one headline proclaimed today is the day to

be sneaky with a zucchini. >> so here's why, today is national sneak some zucchini onto your neighbor's porch. >> thank goodness that's what it means. >> yeah. it's a holiday started by two farmers in pennsylvania who wanted to prevent food waste by sharing all the extra zucchini growing in the garden this time of year. >> so, if some unexpected vegetables show up on your porch today, well, now you know why. people are going to sneak you a zucchini. >> all right, so i'm just going to go to my neighbors and say, honey, i'm just sneaking my zucchini into the neighbors. >> it's totally fine. >> it's fine.

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let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc 7 mornings." >> hi. >> good morning. >> good morning, everyone. it's wednesday, august 8th. >> you are never more than seven minutes away from your accuweather forecast. hi, mike. >> good morning. unfortunatelot some not so good news from the weather department. we've got poor air quality today and the fire danger that's increasing. what's going on as you step out, the air quality is okay. 46 in novato, most of us in the mid to upper 50s, we have santa rosa at 52, clear lake at 61, brentwood, 65, los gatos 63. see how the day unfolds. mid to upper 60s along the coast into san francisco, 70s around the bay. we'll have mainly mid to upper 80s in the south bay and north bay and then you head into the east bay we've got mid 90s. we'll show you the fire -- the

heightened fire danger coming up next. here's alexis. >> we're starting off fairly quiet. a spare the air day. mike talking about the air quality. great day to carpool if that's possible or use and, of course, at this point we're looking at light volumes. bay bridge toll plaza showing a little line up in the cash lanes but that's about it. trying to get to the bottom of a crash here in the lafayette area. sounds like state route 24 at acalanes crash. chp sending a crew to the scene and working on getting that sorted out. an update coming up in a few minutes. >> thank you. cal fire says it will be another three and a half weeks before firefighters have the mendocino complex fires under control. >> full containment of the combined ranch and river fires won't happen until september 1st at the least. and the larger ranch fire 20% contained, down from 30% on monday. a smaller river fire is 78%

contained. evacuated neighbors say firefighters are doing an incredible job. >> at points, 100 feet high back there. it was like an oven coming towards us. >> the back is burnt and the sides over here, but they stuck it out and saved our park. >> the combined fires have grown to 292,000 acres. to give you perspective on their size take a look here at this map. the mendocino complex fires would cover most of the bay area. >> crews in southern california are making slow progress against the holy fire. it's burned 3300 acres of land in the cleveland national forest and 5% contained this morning. the holy fire broke out monday afternoon near the orange and riverside county line and explode out of control and stretched firefighting resources to the limit. >> we're at 300 right now. we are so drawn down in the state our resources will be coming from further and