news in america this morning. making news in america this morning, a new warning issued for hawaii now including honolulu as hurricane lane barrels toward the islands. up to 20 inches of rain and 20-foot waves possible. the island is now bracing for possible mandatory evacuations. president trump tweeting at 1:00 this morning a message of defiance as we learn his former lawyer, michael cohen, now appears ready to cooperate in a new investigation. also overnight, word the president is considering a pardon for his convicted former campaign chairman. federal funding to arm schoolteachers? this morning, the new policy being considered by the trump administration to help school districts buy guns to protect students. one mother fights back after being investigated by child services because she let her

8-year-old walk their dog around the block alone. plus, caught on camera, the moment this cliff gives way collapsing within feet of beachgoers. and it's happened again. boaters getting a whale of a surprise, but this might be the most shocking breach yet. and we do say good morning, everybody, on this thursday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm lynda lopez in for diane macedo. we begin with hurricane lane barreling toward the hawaiian islands. authorities now warning the storm is life-threatening. >> i want to show you the images right now. you can see lane's well-defined eye on the satellite. hurricane warnings are now posted for the state's most populated areas, and that includes honolulu. the storm's track over the next 24 hours really crucial as people on the islands prepare for possible mandatory evacuations. this morning, the hawaiian islands are bracing for the worst. >> i would be very, very happy to be able to say, well, it was

another near-miss, but that doesn't seem likely with the trajectory that's coming now. >> reporter: hurricane lane barreling through the pacific with winds approaching 150 miles an hour making it one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever get this close to the islands. >> we're very scared. we're just going to make the most of it. >> reporter: the massive hurricane seen here from space prompting hurricane warnings for the big island maui and now oahu. >> we got to take it very, very seriously and we're all working together at this point to make sure we plan for the worst and hope for the best. >> reporter: the u.s. navy moving ships and submarines as state officials prepare for evacuations. all public schools in the state are closed today and tomorrow to prepare buildings as evacuation centers. but already this morning there are concerns those shelters may not hold up. >> these shelters, most of them have not been designed or hardened to withstand winds greater than a tropical storm. they are, however, a safer

option than remaining in areas prone to flooding. >> reporter: lane could produce 20-foot waves and dump up to 20 inches of rain. forecasters are closely watching the storm's dangerous center and how close it gets to the islands over the next 24 hours. >> as we head into friday at 2:00 p.m., that is when it tracks just south of maui county. red indicates those hurricane-force winds. they could come onshore. >> reporter: and as people prepare, water at this walmart in honolulu sold out. gas stations running out of fuel. hurricane hunters flying into the eye of the storm tracking its intensity. >> there's no other way for the forecasters to see what exactly is inside the storm and what's going on until we get there. >> an intense 24 to 48 hours ahead for the hawaiian islands. we're going to check in with accuweather in just a few moments for a closer look at the forecast. now to washington where president trump tweeted after 1:00 this morning remaining defiant after the conviction of his former campaign chairman

paul manafort. the president is also fighting back against allegations from his former lawyer, michael cohen, who has implicated him in campaign finance violations. the white house is insisting the president did nothing wrong. abc's janai norman has the new developments. janai. >> reporter: good morning. president trump is arguing some illegal payments made were not illegal despite michael cohen pleading guilty, and as for his former campaign chairman who was found guilty of tax and bank fraud, president trump may be considering a pardon. the white house under fire as the man who once said he'd take a bullet for donald trump takes aim. michael cohen, the president's former personal attorney and fixer, pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and implicating president trump. telling a judge he paid off porn star stormy daniels in coordination and at the direction of donald trump knowing that her claim of an affair would be harmful to the candidate and the campaign. >> did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? >> no, no.

>> reporter: president trump flat out denied knowing about the payoff but later admitting he reimbursed cohen for the payoff. >> has he lied? >> look, again, i think that's a ridiculous accusation. the president in this matter has done nothing wrong, and there are no charges against him. >> reporter: the president on fox news arguing the campaign finance violations cohen pled guilty to weren't crimes. >> did you know about the payments? >> later on i knew. later on, but you have to understand, what he did, and they weren't taken out of campaign finance, that's the big thing, they didn't come out of the campaign. they came from me. >> reporter: and as he fires back at his former right-hand man, the president is praising his former campaign chairman tweeting, feel very badly for paul manafort and his wonderful family. unlike michael cohen, he refused to break, make up stories in order to get a deal. such respect for a brave man. indicating to fox news the possibility of pardoning the man convicted of defrauding the federal government and now facing life behind bars. >> he mentioned pardoning

manafort. >> and michael cohen's lawyer lanny davis tells abc news cohen has knowledge of things that may be of interest to special counsel robert mueller including computer hacking and whether mr. trump knew about the crime ahead of time. president trump tweeting overnight five words, no collusion, rigged witch-hunt. lynda. >> janai, thank you. we've also learned that michael cohen has now been subpoenaed as part of the investigation into the donald j. trump foundation. officials here in new york are looking into whether the foundation used charitable funds to pay off legal bills and personal expenses. the republican congressman duncan hunter is refusing calls to resign despite being indicted for corruption. hunter and his wife are accused of using more than a quarter million dollars of campaign funds to pay for a trip to italy, for school tuition and other expenses. hunter is refusing to give up his committee assignments on capitol hill. he's insisting the indictment is politically motivated.

>> this is the new department of justice. this is the democrats' arm of law enforcement. that's what's happening right now, and it's happening with trump, and it's happening with me. >> now, prosecutors claim hunter also used campaign funds to fly a family pet, reportedly a rabbit, to washington for a family vacation. education secretary betsy devos reportedly wants to use federal education funds to buy guns for teachers. according to "the new york times," devos is considering taking money from the only federal program that does not specifically ban the purchase of weapons and diverting it for guns and training. one critic is already speaking out. former congresswoman and shooting survivor gabby giffords tweeted, teachers are not bodyguards and called the idea absurd and dangerous. the air pollution that is plaguing parts of the pacific northwest is expected to start clearing a little bit today. the smoke and ash from wildfires in the region have formed a thick haze, as you can see there. one report claims the pollution

level is equal to smoking nine cigarettes. people in seattle have been warned to stay indoors. and it's time now for a look at your weather this thursday morning. good morning. as we take a look at lane's impact from thursday going into saturday, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, damaging winds, the possibility of brief tornadoes and dangerous surf all main concerns for hawaii. now we're looking at as far as risk to lives and property, between moderate to high for us throughout several of the islands as it begins to get a little close and how close will it get? stays a category 4 this morning but should be downgraded to a category 1 as it turns away from honolulu. i'm accuweather meteorologist paul williams. well, coming up, a cliff suddenly collapses onto a california beach. but first the firestorm for verizon accused of slowing down a fire department's wireless service during an emergency because they were over their data limit. and later, one mother's

legal battle after she allowed her 8-year-old daughter to walk their dog alone in their neighborhood. why child services had to reese witherspoon tonight dare to dream big. on friday, sept 7th, join stand up to cancer for all the inspiration all the laughter kevin heart if you change one letter in 'cancer' it becomes 'dancer', what!? all the stars tom hanks keep this movement going strong. every network every star kevin bacon dream big with us. one night to save lives get ready to see it all tune in live friday, sept 7, 87c

♪ dream on dream on ♪ dream on dream until the dream comes true ♪ i guess steven tyler is telling president trump to move on. he's now sent a cease and desist letter demanding the president stop using aerosmith songs at his rallies. now, tyler says it's not about politics but about protecting copyrights. verizon now admits it slowed down the wireless data speeds of a fire department in northern california just as the department was responding to a wildfire emergency. verizon says the department had exceeded its data limit. the company now acknowledges a slowdown during an emergency was a mistake. it insists the decision had

nothing to do with the rollback of so-called net neutrality rules that govern internet service speeds. the santa clara fire chief says the slower service had a significant impact on their response. more trouble at sears and kmart. their parent company has announced nearly 50 more stores will be closing. the 33 sears locations and 13 kmarts will be shutting down before the holiday season. liquidation sales, though, will begin starting next week. a major drug bust has uncovered a secret tunnel under a former kfc restaurant in arizona. federal investigators say the 600-foot tunnel stretched from san luis to the mexican border and it was uncovered after an arrest turned up more than 350 pounds of drugs including enough fentanyl for 3 million doses. some frightening moments on a beach near san diego as this cliff collapsed barely missing a woman on the beach down below. authorities say vibrations from the trains running along the cliffs triggered that collapse. nobody was hurt.

a big fire sale literally is under way in vancouver with a listing price that may shock you. this burned out pile of rubble is on the market for $4 million canadian, about 3 million u.s. the agent says it's a bargain because the lot in the hugely popular neighborhood is zoned for up to four town homes. the new owner is also responsible for clearing out all the rubble. the agent has yet to receive any offers. well, coming up, one of the most watched shows on television coming to an end. but first airline passengers watch in shock as the engine of their plane catches fire. and new details about the mexican immigrant in the u.s. illegally who is now accused of killing iowa college student mollie tibbetts. why homeland security is now getting involved in the case. getting involved in the case. in the u.s. hu" it's america's most popular street name. but allstate agents know that's where the similarity stops. if you're on park street in reno, nevada,

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plane started sparking then burst into flames with more than 200 passengers on board. the pilots were eventually able to make an emergency landing. everyone evacuated using the emergency slides and no injuries were reported. well, back here at home wa remember their murdered classmate as we learn new details about the man accused of killing mollie tibbetts. >> the suspect who was in the u.s. illegally made his first appearance in court wednesday. we're now learning how he found work at a local farm. abc's zachary kiesch reports. >> reporter: university of iowa students coming together for a vigil to remember mollie tibbetts. >> from this day on, mollie will always be with me. >> reporter: the young jogger's accused killer appearing shackled in an iowa courtroom wednesday afternoon. >> mr. rivera, you have been charged with murder in the first degree. >> reporter: 24-year-old cristhian rivera listening to the charges against him through a translator held on $5 million cash bond.

mollie disappeared while out for a jog on july 18th and authorities say rivera led them to her body in an iowa cornfield tuesday. investigators say they solved the case using surveillance footage that showed the suspect's car near mollie during her run. >> frame by frame and in realtime motion and eventually saw mollie on the video led us to mr. rivera identifying the vehicle. >> reporter: the owner of the farm where rivera worked for the last four years saying when they hired rivera, they screened him through an older system instead of the homeland security's newer e-verify system. >> what we learned in the last 24 hours is that our employee was not who he said he was. >> reporter: iowa senator chuck grassley now asking homeland security to turn over all information on rivera. grassley co-sponsored legislation with fellow iowa senator joni ernst called sarah's law named in honor of another young iowa woman, sarah root, killed in 2016 by an undocumented immigrant.

zachary kiesch, abc news, new york. the man accusing actress asia argento of sexual assault is speaking out just as a new photo of the two has been revealed. the photo first obtained by tmz was purportedly taken after jimmy bennett's encounter with argento five years ago when he was 17. bennett says he tried to settle the matter privately because he was ashamed and believed there was a stigma to being a male victim. he says when argento went public as one of harvey weinstein's alleged victims, things got more difficult for him. he says, quote, my trauma resurfaced as she came out as a victim herself. i have not made a public statement in the past days and hours because i was ashamed and afraid to be part of the public narrative. bennett reportedly received the $380,000 settlement. argento has denied the allegations. well, one of the best known coaches in college football has now been suspended. ohio state's urban meyer will miss the first three games of the season. the punishment follows a school investigation that found meyer

mismanaged domestic violence accusations against a former assistant coach. an amusing moment, in the meantime, during the atlanta braves game last night. ozzie albies popped a foul ball straight up in the air. a few seconds later the ball hits him square on the head. look at it again and down. >> ow. up next in "the pulse," the highest paid actor in hollywood this year and why his fortune has nothing to do with movies. also ahead, the new video of a close call for whale watchers in alaska. and the very unusual sight on one commuter train. one commuter train. if you have psoriasis, ... little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if

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hot, dense state ♪ ♪ then nearly 14 billion years ago expansion started ♪ does that sound familiar? it does for a lot of people because we're going to begin with the end of the road for "the big bang theory." >> this upcoming season will be the show's last after 279 episodes. the show will wrap may of 2019 and the writers are predicting an epic close. >> so, warner brothers says the series, which has run some 12 seasons now with this upcoming series, is shot with multiple cameras, and that makes it one of the longest or the longest running series shot with several cameras on tv. the original five stars are among the highest paid actors in tv making about $1 million per episode. not a bad gig. now, let's turn to the movies where "forbes" is out with its new list of highest paid actors, but it's tequila, not box office sales, that landed george clooney at the top of the list, so how do we feel about that? >> free shots for anybody, i guess.

"forbes" says clooney made $239 million in the last year thanks to the sale of his casamigos tequila brand. he said he never planned on starting a company. he and his business partner were just making tequila for themselves and had no idea it would turn into a billion dollar business. >> you think on the "forbes" actors list he would be at number one for the acting money he made. >> that is true. >> plus, look at number two on the list, dwayne "the rock" johnson, he made about $124 million this year. >> in all honesty, dwayne hasn't really done any good acting in years, so does it really count as -- >> oh. >> snap. >> burn. >> "skyscraper" was pretty awesome. >> it was. >> it was great. so, if you think your morning commute is a challenge, imagine seeing this. >> a guy tried to bring his horse onto a train in europe. apparently he thought there would be nothing wrong with this. >> he tried to board two trains in austria, but the conductor said no horsing around.

the train company posted the pictures as a reminder to keep your horses at home. >> because you need that reminder every now and again. >> i guess. we showed you video yesterday of a whale jumping off -- jumping near a boat in new hampshire. but this video is even more dramatic. look at what happened near alaska. >> oh. >> oh! >> a humpback whale came within inches of that tour boat. >> yes, it did. well, they wanted to go whale watching. ng. ...most people. but on the inside, i feel chronic, widespread pain. fibromyalgia may be invisible to others, but my pain is real. fibromyalgia is thought to be caused by overactive nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i'm glad my doctor prescribed lyrica. for some, lyrica delivers effective relief from fibromyalgia pain... ...and improves function.

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good morning, south bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc 7 mornings." >> hi, thanks for joining us. it's thursday, august 23rd. >> natasha is off this morning. you are never more than seven minutes away from your accuweather forecast. hi, mike nicco. >> good morning, fog august. >> yes. >> it continues. >> it does. we saw a little sunshine yesterday that made it all the way out to the coast. we may not be quite as lucky today. hi, everybody. temperatures in the mid to upper 50s, ukiah, cloverdale, santa rosa, half moon bay, los gatos and fairfield. the rest of us low to mid 60s. little more cloud cover, little slower the sunshine today. 69 in oakland, low to mid 70s around the bay and almost a few 80s in our inland neighborhoods.

here's alexis. >> good morning, mike. once again looking at the bay bridge toll plaza from our emeryville camera. we have flipped that around for you. no metering lights yet. just lstackup as you can see on either side of the toll plaza in the cash lanes. we should have about 50 minutes to go until the metering lights are on. hopefully we don't have anything like yesterday where an early crash flipped those on at 5:12. early delays out of the central valley, westbound 205 to 580, 16 miles an hour and 6 miles an hour on 580 south of there. it does sound like we have overnight roadwork. i will have an update in a couple minutes breaking news in the east bay, where police are investigating a stabbing at a bart station. >> abc 7 reporter amy hollyfield is live at the warm springs station in fremont. amy? >> hi, jessica. this police activity is taking place pretty far away from the trains. this is out here in the intersection on the street outside the station. this is at transit and warm springs boulevard. this is where the police are doing their work. the trains here at the warm

springs station are running. commuters should not be impacted by what's going on here. what happened is they got a call about 2:30 this morning someone had been stabbed. they found a car out here on the road, outside the station and they did find the victim, a man, who told them he had been stabbed in the bart parking lot. they took him to the hospital. they don't know how he's doing at this point and no arrests have been made. officers tell us they don't know the motive. they're still gathering their evidence here at the scene. their investigation is just getting started. just all of you commuters out there who use this station, be warned you will see this activity when you arrive but you will be able to get into the parking lot and still be able to get on the trains. live in freemont, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. now breaking news from the abc 7 live desk. >> the islamic state group is claiming responsibility for a deadly knife attack in a suburb of paris. french officials say a man stabbed two women to death this

morning. the suspect stabber was subsequently killed by police. the victims are identified as the attacker's mother and sister. the third woman was injured in the attack. police say she was just a passerby. the attacker is reported to be a 36-year-old taxi driver said to have been known to france's security services since 2016. on social media the islamic state group called him one of its fighters. it is 4:30. if you are just waking up to us, good morning. you are never more than seven minutes away from your accuweather forecast. here's mike. >> thank you very much. hi, everybody. i thought we would take a look at the winds. yesterday they were slower and allowed the sunshine to come in faster. tday the winds have picked up gusting to 26 through fairfield and we have a little mist -- area of mist developing along the coast. i think the sun is going to be slower today. let's take a look at it. my accuweather 12-hour planner,

low 50s through