making news in america this morning, a new bombshell in the brett kavanaugh nomination battle. his accuser now refusing to testify before a senate committee, instead demanding an fbi investigation. reaction from capitol hill overnight and what it could mean for kavanaugh's chance of getting onto the supreme court. and the new accusation from president trump overnight. breaking news from north korea, kim jong-un agreeing overnight to permanently dismantle his main nuclear complex, but there's a catch. what he wants the united states to do. a reality tv doctor and his girlfriend accused of preying on women, drugging and assaulting them. >> on orthopedic surgeon will make a lot of girls' ears light up. >> police say there could be

hundreds of victims. what they reportedly found on the doctor's phone. those stories plus the scare overseas. needles found inside strawberries in the store. now new worries about other fruit. and later we meet the seventh grader whose invention to make your life easier has just earned him a trip into the "shark tank." and we do say good morning on this wednesday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm janai norman in for diane macedo. we begin with breaking news. the college professor accusing supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh of sexual assault is refusing to testify unless there is a full fbi investigation into her allegations. >> an attorney for dr. christine blasey ford says there's no reason to rush a public hearing but republicans say there's no reason to delay it. abc's elizabeth hur is joins us now with the new details. good morning. >> reporter: kendis and janai, good morning to you. yes, dr. ford will testify, but under this one condition, that's according to her lawyers who say this is in part for her

protection after falling victim to vicious harassment including death threats. this morning dr. christine blasey ford standing firm, no fbi investigation, no testimony. in a letter to senate judiciary committee chairman chuck grassley obtained by abc news, ford's lawyers writing, quote, a full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a nonpartisan manner. and that the committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing. adding ford's life has been turned upside down, and she will not be appearing on capitol hill on monday. overnight grassley responding in a statement, dr. ford's testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events, nothing the fbi or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what dr. ford tells the committee so there is no reason for any further delay. >> i don't think the fbi really should be involved because they don't want to be involved.

>> reporter: the fbi has already completed one background check on kavanaugh. president trump could request another to look at the new investigation, but the president making it clear he has no intention to do so and overnight the president tweeting, the supreme court is one of the main reasons i got elected president. i hope republican voters and others are watching and studying the democrats' playbook. ford is accusing kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when he was drunk at a high school party in the 1980s. kavanaugh emphatically denies the allegation. but democrats are coming to ford's defense insisting the fbi should investigate the alleged assault and the hearing should be delayed and that at least for now seems unlikely with the committee chair saying dr. ford was offered a public or a private hearing, whichever made her most comfortable, and that the invitation for monday still stands. kendis. >> we'll see how that plays out. elizabeth hur, thank you. the possible showdown between kavanaugh and ford looks

a lot like the face-off between anita hill and clarence thomas of course a generation ago so how are things different? this morning, one senator's message to the men of america. >> i just want to say to the men of this country, just shut up and step up. do the right thing for a change. >> reporter: democratic senator mazey hirono of hawaii, one of the four women on the senate judiciary committee, says she believes christine blasey ford's claim that judge kavanaugh drunkenly assaulted her when they were in high school. hirono's senate committee is the same panel with some of the same senators that questioned anita hill during the clarence thomas confirmation hearings in 1991. hill had accused him of sexual harassment. at the time, the hearing getting personal and widely criticized for being insensitive. >> you testified this morning that the most embarrassing question involved -- this is not too bad -- women's large breasts. that's the word we use all the time.

that was the most embarrassing aspect of what judge thomas had said to you. >> reporter: anita hill writing in tuesday's "new york times" there is no way to redo 1991 but there are ways to do it better saying the job of the committee is to serve as fact-finders, to better serve the american public and the weight of the government should not be used to destroy the lives of witnesses who are called to testify. unlike the hearing in 1991, women sit on the committee. but all of the republicans remain men. >> obviously the optics of 11, you know, men there on the republican side, it is what it is. that's the committee right now and so we'll just have to do our best. >> reporter: one man who is refusing to testify in front of the committee is brett kavanaugh's classmate, mark judge. ford says judge was there when kavanaugh assaulted her. but judge who is an author and columnist says he has no memory of the alleged incident but some of his previous writings

are under scrutiny. he once celebrated the beauty of uncontrollable male passion in a book review, and on his page in his high school yearbook quoting noel wow ward, saying certain women should be struck regularly like gongs. a programming note, anita hill will be live on "good morning america" for an exclusive one-on-one interview this morning. now to breaking news from north korea. kim jong-un has announced an agreement during a summit with south korea's president. he offered to permanently dismantle his main nuclear facility, but he says he'll only do it if the united states agrees to, quote, corresponding measures. he didn't elaborate further. also this morning, south korea's president announced kim will soon visit seoul for the first time. we now turn to the rising death toll after hurricane florence. overnight we learned that a jail transportation van was overtaken by floodwaters in south carolina killing two people locked inside. at least 37 deaths are now being blamed on the storm, and this morning, a major river in north

carolina is cresting. president trump is visiting the state today to tour the damage and abc's emily rau continues our coverage there from wilmington. emily, you've been there for over a week now. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, janai. if you can believe it, some of the rivers have not crested and the governor of the state is pleading with more than 10,000 evacuees for them to not come home just yet. the water rescues in north carolina continue this morning. coast guard crews airlifting families and their pets to safety. >> we've never seen it like this before. never seen nothing like this before. >> reporter: as rivers swell even higher after florence dumped more than 8 trillion gallons of water, officials now forced to close bridges in fayetteville leaving even longtime residents stunned. >> you know, i've been through quite a few. this is probably the worst rain event that i have seen. >> reporter: in wilmington lines stretched around the block. people waiting for hours for food and water. >> it just sat over us for so

long and dropped so much water. >> reporter: as others return to their homes to survey the damage. >> the tree basically crushed the house in half. >> reporter: jacksonville resident michael white losing everything. >> you can't replace this, you know what i mean. too much love, too much years, too much blood, sweat and tears. >> reporter: and another tragedy yesterday in south carolina. deputies were transporting two women who were in custody who are mental health patients when floodwaters overtook the van they were riding in and those deputies were unable to get the women out in time. kendis, janai. >> emily rau there in wilmington. thank you, emily. time for a look at your weather for this wednesday. good morning. what you don't see on this map anymore is florence because florence has now moved out of the way, won't affect the east coast with less humid air,

and that will allow for the cleanup weather to be perfect for the carolinas to recover from the effects of florence because, remember, we had up to 40 inches of rain in jacksonville, wilmington, myrtle beach, but the problem is this, residual effects. for the next one to two weeks we'll still have major flooding with record-setting crests throughout south carolina and north carolina. i'm accuweather meteorologist paul williams. coming up, life in the fast lane. ferrari's most powerful car ever. also ahead, the seventh grader whose sticky invention has earned him an invitation to the "shark tank." but first, elizabeth smart with an

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the woman who helped kidnap elizabeth smart is walking free in utah this morning. wanda barzee spent 15 years in custody.

smart says she fears for herself and for the public now that barzee is being released earlier than expected. smart says barzee sat next to her and watched her husband assault her on a regular basis. the couple held smart captive for 9 months when she was 14 years old. barzee has apologized for the pain and suffering she caused. authorities in iowa say the man charged with murdering a college golf star has a history of violence. the body of celia arozamena was found in a pond with stab wounds. police say the suspect, collin richards, was homeless and living in the woods. people in the victim's hometown in spain held a vigil to remember her overnight. you can see the scenes there. the athletic director at iowa state university where she played golf said it's like losing a daughter. a record settlement in the catholic church abuse scandal. the diocese of brooklyn has reached a $27 million settlement with four men allegedly abused by a teacher. the victims were between the ages of 8 and 12 at the time. it's the largest individual

payment on record from the church. we're getting our first look at two air force pilots who ejected from their plane during a training flight before that plane crashed in texas. here's one of the parachutes floating to the ground. the remains of their plane slammed into a field near a mall in san antonio. both pilots suffered only a few scratches. one reportedly said something had gone wrong with the plane. ferrari has announced its most powerful road car ever. it's a one-seater called the manza sp 1. it has an 810 horsepower engine that can reach 60 miles per hour in under 3 seconds. one thing that's missing is a windshield. ferrari is only making a few hundred of them. the estimated price, over $1 million. >> that's one thing that's missing is a bank account to pay that. coming up, the nfl facing a new boycott threat. ct and his girlfriend insurance. charged with drugging and assaulting women. why police believe there could be hundreds of additional victims.

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alison had a very cute face and looked just like her profile pictures. >> well, that is the voice of dr. grant robicheaux. you see him there on the bravo show "online dating rituals of the american male." authorities say the seemingly charming doctor had a dark side. he's accused of being a serial rapist. he and his girlfriend are charged with drugging and assaulting two women. >> but police say there could be hundreds of additional victims. they're now reviewing the recordings they say were found on the doctor's found. abc's kayna whitworth has more. >> reporter: this picture-perfect pair here enjoying a vacation in mexico, suspected of being serial rapists with hundreds of potential victims. this popular newport beach orthopedic surgeon had a taste for the reality show spotlight. >> a orthopedic surgeon will make a lot of girls ears light

up. and those are the girls i'm really not interested in. >> reporter: authorities say he and his girlfriend allegedly would lure unsuspecting women from bars and restaurants. dr. grant robicheaux and cerissa riley each charged with sexual assault against two women and one count of rape. the first incident in april of 2016. jane doe number one says the couple invited her to a boat party. she claims she was drugged and taken to robicheaux's apartment where she says they raped her. police say the encounter was filmed. >> she feels more intoxicated by the drinks than would ordinarily be expected. >> reporter: authorities then made the chilling claim that the pair recorded more than 1,000 videos in many different cities with women seemingly intoxicated or drugged and unable to consent. >> based on this evidence, we believe that there might be many unidentified victims out there. 'm trying to grab something more substantial. >> reporter: 38-year-old robicheaux even once appeared on

a bravo reality show, "online dating rituals of the american male." >> when i said that i really don't drink that much, he was very taken aback, and i guess maybe like a stand-up interview on his own, he said, i can't date somebody who doesn't drink or something like that, i heard. and i was kind of like, okay. do you. like that's fine with me. >> reporter: the couple posted their $100,000 bail, which is consistent with the charges that they're facing now. but the d.a.'s office tells me they strongly believe they're just scratching the surface of this case, and that's why they're urging more women to come forward. kayna whitworth, abc news, los angeles. now to breaking news in connection with a major food scare overseas after needles were found inside strawberries across australia. police have arrested a boy they say has admitted planting the needles as a prank. a $100,000 reward was offered amid growing concern about copycats and other fruit. exporters are now required to prove that their strawberries

have gone through a metal detector. some of the biggest names in pro football are threatening to boycott the hall of fame unless the group meets their demands. the group is lead by eric dickerson. they're demanding health insurance and a share of the league's revenues. no comment yet from the league itself. the baltimore orioles have found a unique way to honor part of their fan base. they became the first team to wear uniforms with braille characters. they sold jerseys after the game donating proceeds to the national federation of the blind. coming up, forget helicopter parents. the new breed of parents next. but first "sesame street" releases a new statement about bert and ernie and whether they're more than just friends. and the possible new treatment for baldness. dness. or atopic dermatitis, you never know how your skin will look. and it can feel like no matter what you do, you're itching all the time. but even though you see and feel your eczema on the surface of your skin, an overly sensitive immune system deep within your skin might actually be causing your eczema.

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clouds away ♪ so starting with the controversy here in "the pulse" over bert and ernie. roommates of 49 years. loved by children for generations. >> the internet was on fire with a report that the famous roommates are gay. a former "sesame street" writer told a website he wrote the characters as a loving couple, taking inspiration from his own relationship. but he later said his comments were misinterpreted, and he didn't restrict bert and ernie to one sexual orientation. >> he sort of outed them a. a statement released by sesame workshop says "sesame street" has always stood for acceptance and inclusion. bert and ernie were created to be best friends and to teach young children that people can get along with those who are very different from themselves. you've heard the term helicopter parents. they hover over their kids.

now there's a new breed of parent, the lawn mower parent. >> the teacher described one as the father summoned the teacher out of class to bring her insulated bottle to her. so big news in the search for a cure for baldness. the smell of sandalwood may hold the key. >> researchers found the chemical that creates sandalwood's smell also triggers hair growth in human scalps. the study suggests our hair follicles may actually be able to detect odors. scientists say they're not far from taking their theory from the lab to a baldness clinic to kendis' house. >> is tv 3 considered a baldness clinic as well? yeah. a seventh grader from georgia will be pitching his product in the "shark tank" next month. >> tripp phillips invented a non-permanent glue. he came up with the idea when his teacher challenged his class to invent something. now, phillips wanted to keep his lego blocks together without damaging them.

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temperatures today. the sunshine to the coast. 63, half moon bay. what a great day to be in san francisco. sunny, 70 degrees.

then you can see 80s in your inland neighborhoods. 90s are on the way. i'll show you that coming up. how about the morning commute? starting off pretty quiet, mike. no major incidents to talk about. a areas of fog on the visibility layer. i'll talk a little bit more about that in just a few. keeping an eye on road work. highway 4, san pablo dam road. the hercules area was looking a little yellow and even red on our traffic sensors. that is back in the green. maybe they are picking that up ahead of schedule today. no issues using fast track. thanks alexis. developing news in san francisco where police are investigating a deadly shooting in the outer sunset avenue. >> it happened on 46th avenue and moraga street last night. the victim was transported to the hospital where he later

died. so far no arrests have been made. meanwhile, in the south bay, a boost in san jose. >> matt keller explains why this is even necessary. matt? >> reporter: hi, reggie, jessica. this is airport security. at least on the perimeter here you have a fence with barbed wire. off times it is not enough. they are getting big money to upgrade. intruders made it on the other side. the most finalous in 2014, when a boy climbed into the wheel well of the plane and flew to hawaii. a woman was able to hop the fence and was caught trespassing. this airport and the miami international airport are the two to test new technologies. they will split up $10 million. it includes video cameras,

analytics software to detect unauthorized personnel on the property. laser, tprefence and ground sen and radar, microwave and infrared sensors that can cover a larger area than a typical camera. live in san jose, matt keller, abc 7 news. matt, thank you. i guess it's necessary. >> hard to believe. still when you hear about that guy in the wheelwell, that he survived that trip, unbelievable. a quick update on weather and traffic. good morning, reggie. hi, everybody. here's a look at the visibility. a little bit of fog developing around novato. right now, two and a half miles. not bad. notice the lack of marine layer and clouds in sutro. we start off this morning pretty much where we have all week. mid-40s to mid-50s. a little bit of difference. na