making news in america this morning, bracing for a landfall. hurricane michael gaining strength overnight. the storm now a powerful category 4 hurricane. the warnings, mass evacuations and the storm's latest track. surprise departure. u.n. ambassador nikki haley announcing she's leaving the trump administration. is ivanka trump next in line for the job. >> how good would ivanka be? the people that know know that ivanka would be dynamite. >> this morning the president's daughter reacting. children recovered. more than 100 missing kids discovered in one how investigators found them in a single day. plus, the mega millions swelling overnight after no winning ticket. the jackpot now one of the largest ever. drinking with dad?

what lebron james said about ars in his young sons wine. music take the stage. ♪ they say i did something bad >> the winners at the american music awards as women rule the night. we do say good morning on this busy wednesday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm lynda lopez in for diane macedo. we begin with breaking news, hurricane michael strengthening as it bears down on the florida panhandle. >> yeah, moments ago, the national hurricane center announced michael was a category 4 storm, extremely dangerous and expected to make landfall about midday today. right now michael is moving north across the eastern gulf of mexico. >> 375,000 people have been asked to evacuate the state. abc's maggie rulli is in panama city beach this morning. good morning, maggie. >> reporter: kendis and lynda.

good morning. like you said, this storm is gaining strength and it's gaining strength rapidly fast. remember just this time rricanday michael was a catego officithat the time to evacuate the raw power urca mion thhigh seas. >> reporter: we're told all passengers aboard "the empress of the seas" are safe but now the monster storm is taking direct aim for the florida panhandle, overnight becoming a strong category 4 storm. >> do not underestimate the power of the storm. this will be devastating. >> reporter: seen from space this hurricane is intimidating stretching more than 400 miles. it's left a path of destruction and more than a dozen dead in central america. and authorities here in florida are not taking any chances fearing high winds and double-digit storm surge. >> remember, we can rebuild your house. we cannot rebuild your life. think about your kids, your grandkids, all your family members. take care of them. take this seriously and

keep your family safe. >> reporter: the governor of florida is asking at least 375,000 people to evacuate. many residents heeding the warning and saying this is shaping up to be the worst this region has seen in decades taking to shelters. >> understanding that this storm may be a little bit more intense than the others. >> reporter: and hauling everything out of harm's way. >> i don't want it to sink. >> reporter: others stocking up on dwindling supplies preparing to ride out this storm. >> we're hunkered down the way we need to be. we're well prepared. we understand the severity and we'll be good to go. >> reporter: officials warn that it's not just the center of this storm where they're worried about. many of the outer bands are also packing hurricane-force winds and, kendis and lynda, we could start seeing those in just a matter of hours. >> scary for the people down there. rule maggie, thank you so much. and hurricane hunters have h flown directly into michael and have a warning. >> the experts measuring michael from the air say it's not following the usual pattern. >> the environment around this

storm is, indeed, becoming more conducive for intensification. we were hoping that would not be the case. that's bad news for those who live along the florida panhandle. the storm is continuing to strengthen with the very warm waters of the eastern gulf of mexico. we're talking about a very, very large storm surge and additionally there's going to be a lot of damage inland probably from the storm because of the very high winds. >> the national hurricane center is warning the storm surge could cause flooding in areas that don't normally see it. well, president trump has to plug another hole in his cabinet. the u.n. ambassador nikki haley is out at the start of the new year. a move that stunned the white house. the speculation has already begun as to who will replace her and talk has turned to a member of the first family. abc's stephanie ramos joins us now from washington, d.c. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: kendis, good morning to you. well, last night president trump

celebrated the swearing in of supreme court justice brett kavanaugh while also trying to boost republican enthusiasm going into next month's midterm elections. president trump is still beaming from the confirmation of brett kavanaugh to the supreme court reminiscing at a rally tuesday night in iowa. >> yesterday at the white house we proudly swore in the newest member of the united states supreme court. >> reporter: while also going after democrats ahead of the midterm election saying they will seek to undermine the new justice. >> last week they're saying we'll impeach him. impeach him for what? for what? >> reporter: the president zeroing in on california senator dianne feinstein, mocking her denial that she leaked the letter sent by christine blasey ford who accused kavanaugh of sexual assault. >> how about senator feinstein? that's another beauty. that's a beauty. did you leak the documents?

what, what, what, what, no, i didn't. >> reporter: feinstein has mainta office did not leak the letter. the crowd though breaking out in this familiar chant. [ chanting "lock her up" ] >> and i think they're talking about feinstein. can you believe it? >> reporter: but in washington the talk was all about the resignation of his u.s. ambassador to the united nations, nikki haley. the one-time critic of the president says she will leave her post at the end of the year. >> there's no personal reasons. i think that it's just very important for government officials to understand when it's time to step aside. >> reporter: after president trump said ivanka would be dynamite as a u.n. ambassador, ivanka herself tweeted that she believes the president will nominate a formidable replacement to replace ambassador haley, and she says that it will not be her. kendis, lynda. >> yeah, the president says he has five names on his list already.

stephanie, thank you. overseas we're learning new details about the fate of a saudi journalist. "the new york times" reporting that saudi leadership ordered the assassination of jamal khashoggi. the prominent journalist was last seen in the saudi consulate in istanbul. saudi officials say khashoggi left the consulate on his own. turkey's president wants the saudis to produce evidence supporting their claim. busy day in the weather department. time now for a look at your forecast for this wednesday. good morning. we're looking at michael arriving and hitting the panhandle of florida bringing with it heavy rain with rain ranging between 8 to even 12 inches in some areas. wreaking havoc through georgia right into the carolinas. winds, 120 to 140-mile-per-hour winds and even in south carolina up to 80. i'm accuweather meteorologist paul williams.

and coming up, the mega millions jackpot growing bigger overnight. and also ahead, investigators th00 missing kids in a single day. where they were discovered. and a deepening mystery for an illness that can paralyze people as more cases are reported in another state. today there is only one park for every 14,000 americans. connection to nature is a right that the trust for public land is fighting to preserve. from boulevards to ball fields and ponds to playgrounds, together we have saved over 3 million acres of land. a park is a gift that is worth protecting. help support the trust for public land and the gift of parks today.

when i have an asthma attack... i feel like a fish with no water. learn how to prevent your child's next asthma attack. because even one attack is one too many.

we're back with a chilling video from a robbery at a texas jewelry store. suspects used sledgehammers during the smash and grab. police say a store employee as you can see there on the ground suffered a broken jaw and bone fracture near his eye after being punched in the face and

kicked by the suspects. right there as they were leaving. authorities are searching for four men. police are offering a $5,000 reward. well, more than 100 missing children have been rescued in a sting aimed at sex trafficking in michigan. the operation turned up 123 kids in wayne county which includes detroit. three cases have been identified as possible sex trafficking. last month's one-day sweep came weeks after a similar sting. more than 50 children were recovered near flint. well, sears is reportedly preparing for a bankruptcy filing that could come as soon as this week. "the wall street journal" reports the struggling retailer has hired advisers to help with bankruptcy proceedings. the retailer has $134 million in debt that's due on monday. sears still has 900 stores. and gas prices appear to be soaring to a nearly four-year high. the average price is $2.90 a gallon. that's up more than 90 cents from last year. analysts say prices will continue to increase and the

average cost could soon hit $3. well, there was no winner in the mega millions jumbo jackpot overnight. that means we all have another shot at joining the millionaires' club on friday -- actually the half a billionaires' club. the jackpot is expected to swell to $548 million. that's the third largest ever. and police in northern california are trying to nail down suspects in a big heist. this is what was taken. it's a 20-foot-long, 6-foot-high, 1,000-pound hammer. police in healdsburg, which is north of san francisco, say it went missing last weekend. it was part of an art display, and it's worth $15,000, but a 1,000-pound hammer just disappeared. >> someone slung it over their shoulder and kept going. >> yeah, exaly. well, coming up, firefighters pull a man froe roo

camera. and also ahead, new details in the tragic limousine crash that killed 20 people. what we've learned about the vehicle's inspections. and it was a beatdown in the bronx. the yankees get eliminated from the playoffs. hear the musical taunting after the game from the red sox. so cruel. so brutal. what if numbers tell only half the story? at t. rowe price, hundreds of our experts go beyond the numbers to examine investment opportunities firsthand. like a biotech firm that engineers a patient's own cells to fight cancer. this is strategic investing. because your investments deserve the full story. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. your digestive system has billions of bacteria but life can throw them off balance. re-align yourself with align probiotic. and try new align gummies with prebiotics and probiotics to help support digestive health.

>> tech: don't wait for a chip like this to crack your whole windshield. with safelite's exclusive resin, you get a strong repair that you can trust. plus, with most insurance a safelite repair is no cost to you. >> customer: really?! >> singers: safelite repair, safelite replace. copd makes it hard to breathe. so to breathe better, i go with anoro. ♪ go your own way copd tries to say, "go this way." i say, "i'll go my own way, with anoro." ♪ go your own way once-daily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators that work together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. anoro is not for asthma. it contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. the risk is unknown in copd. anoro won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, glaucoma, prostate, bladder, or urinary problems. these may worsen with anoro. call your doctor if you have worsened breathing,

chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain while taking anoro. ask your doctor about anoro. ♪ go your own way get your first prescription free at anoro.com. we're back, and we're keeping e oane chrinorful cat4 storm. it is now less than 200 miles from the shore. hundreds of thousands of people have been told to evacuate because michael is bringing very strong winds, as we mentioned, the heavy rain and what forecasters call life-threatening storm surge. a category 4 or 5 storm has never hit the florida panhandle so it's probably going to hit by midday today. and the family of the limo driver involved in last weekend's deadly crash near albany, new york, is pointing the finger at the limo company. >> yeah, the driver's family says that limo was neither roadworthy nor safe. also we've obtained part of an

inspection report that singles out the car's brakes. here's abc's david kerley. >> reporter: a line of hearses carrying some of the 20 victims to a funeral home after the extended limo ran a stop sign slamming into an embankment at high speed, those emergency workers used the jaws of life to cut open the limo. >> when we were pulling bodies kept going.re still >> reporter: government inspectors found 22 violations in the company's 4 vehicles in the past 2 years. this particular limo had six violations just a month ago. a brake system monitor that wasn't working. the governor saying the limo should not have been on the road. the upstate new york company claiming repairs had been made. >> prestige had been working with the state to make sure that the vehicles were roadworthy. >> reporter: new york state pushing back saying an out of service sticker like this should have been on the limo.

the driver of this 17-year-old stretched suv also killed didn't have the proper license to carry that many passengers. families saying that he was concerned. >> the wife told me that he had complained to her regarding the condition of some of the vehicles. >> reporter: authorities have now identified all the passengers in the limo, all of them in their late 20s or early 30s but still no word from investigators why that limo crossed this state road at such a high rate of speed. david kerley, abc news, schoharie, new york. there are new fears over a mystery illness that seems to be spreading. there are now three new cases in the pittsburgh area on top of dozens of cases in colorado and minnesota. the polio-like illness mostly affects children, and it attacks the nervous system. paralysis is an obvious symptom but parents should not ignore other warning signs. >> don't even discount minor symptoms of uncoordination, muscle weakness that they can't explain, things like that,

especially if you're like five to seven days after a cold. >> so far this year, 38 cases of afm have been confirmed in 16 states. there's no vaccine but the cdc recommends general disease prevention steps including staying up to date on all other vaccines. a dramatic rescue from a burning home was captured on a firefighter's helmet cam. crews in fresno, california, pulled a homeless man from a building that they thought was vacant. they managed to hear him yelling and saw him waving his hands. the man had wedged himself into a crawl space. he's expected to be okay. so the bronx bombers bummed this morning. they're out of the postseason. the yankees saw their season end at home at the hands of their bitter rivals, the boston red sox. boston won, 4-3. after the win the red sox seemed to troll the yankees with a song in the locker room. >> yeah. ♪ i want to be a part of it, new york, new york ♪

>> well, you know, the yankees usually play that song, "new york, new york," after they win, but you may remember the yanks' aaron judge broke out with his version of "new york, new york" after the yankees won game two in boston. >> because it's his song. it's their song. >> but in boston. >> the red sox can't do that. >> while walking past their locker room. >> yeah, okay. >> oh, the shade. up next in "the pulse," a history making night at the american music awards. and also ahead, lebron james talking about the maturity of his kids and what he says they're already allowed to do. plus, natural light throws itself a birthday celebration with a very special case of beer. beer. celebration with a special case of beer. it was the last song of the night. it felt like my heart was skipping beats. they said i had afib. what's afib? i knew that meant i was at a greater risk of stroke. i needed answers. my doctor and i chose xarelto®

to help keep me protected from a stroke. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. warfarin interferes with at least 6 of your body's natural blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor. for afib patients well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. it may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. get help right away for unexpected bleeding or unusual bruising. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. before starting, tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures and any kidney or liver problems. learn all you can to help protect yourself from a stroke. talk to your doctor about xarelto®.

to help protect yourself from a stroke. (vo) ovewhelming air fresheners can send you running. so try febreze one. with no aerosols and no heavy perfumes. so you can spray and stay. febreze one. but he has plans today.ain. hey dad. so he took aleve. if he'd taken tylenol, he'd be stopping for more pills right now. only aleve has the strength to stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve. all day strong. ♪ ♪ "the pulse" starts with a

history making night at the american music awards. taylor swift got the show started performing her song "i did something bad." >> then she won four awards including artist of the year and favorite tour. speech, she echoed her recent political call to action. >> you know what else is voted on by the people is the midterm elections on november 6th. get out and vote. i love you guys. >> swift needs just three more american music awards to beat michael jackson's all-time career record of 24. >> cardi b won two awards and she's getting rave reviews, mostly from me, for a showstopping performance of her hit "i like it." >> and j. lo performed her new song called "limitless" from her upcoming movie called "second act." well, a florida panhandl sheriff's office wants no part of the weather channel's jim cantore. >> yeah, because you know when the big guy comes to town,

trouble is coming. he's been at the weather channel since the 1980s, and when he's there, strong storms usually follow. >> well, in anticipation of cantore's arrival for hurricane michael, the santa rosa county sheriff's office put up this poster. it warns cantore to stay out of their area, or he's going to be cited for trespassing. there is very small print at the bottom saying the threat is not real. officials really do like him. lebron james is raising some eyebrows because of some comments that he made about his sons. >> yeah, james has two boys, 14-year-old lebron jr. and bryce who is 11, and while speaking to reporters, he called his boys nt a little r. take a listen. >> my 14 and 11-year-old drink wine. >> really. >> yeah, that's how mature they are. >> wow. >> they be driving next week too. [ laughter ] >> white, red? >> whatever dad and mom is having. put it on me, though. don't put it on mom. put it on dad. put it on dad. >> put it on dad.

>> put it on dad. lebron is known to be something of a wine expert actually. some believe responsible drinking at a young age promotes responsible drinking as adults. the comment is sure to draw some criticism. and finally, speaking of drinking, fans of natural light are rejoicing at least in one small corner of the country. >> anheuser-busch is out with a 77-pack of the beer that fans call natty light. >> 77. >> 77 is a nod to 1977 when the brand was first created. >> here's the problem, though, 77 packs are only being sold around college park, maryland, home of the university of maryland. >> but it only costs like 2 bucks. nd. ables in-wash scent boosters by downy. ah, it's so fresh. and it's going to last from wash to wear for up to 12 weeks. right, freshness for weeks! downy unstopables. for a fresh too feisty to quit.

and now try downy unstopables with the original scent of tide they work togetherf doing important stuff. the hitch? like you, your cells get hungry. feed them... with centrum micronutrients. restoring your awesome, daily. centrum. feed your cells. thyou know what i do instead?eny your cravings. i snack on blue diamond almonds. wasabi & soy sauce?! mmm! don't deny your cravings. eat 'em! all the flavors you crave, in a superfood. blue diamond almonds. crave victoriously. and i don't add up the years. but what i do count on is boost®. delicious boost® high protein nuritional drink now has 33% more protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals boost® high protein. be up for life.

moderate-to-severe eczema, 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. so help heal your skin from within. with dupixent. dupixent is not a steroid, and it continuously treats your eczema even when you can't see it. at 16 weeks, more than 1 in 3 patients saw clear or almost clear skin, and patients saw significant reduction in itch. do not use if you are allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision. if you have asthma, and are taking asthma medicines do not change or stop your asthma medicine without talking to your doctor. help heal your skin from within.

ask your eczema specialist about dupixent. >> yes. and i don't know about you guys but the temperature was just at the right part to sleep well. >> sit was cool, though, chilly, walking around yesterday afternoon. >> it will be cooler this afternoon. and so hopefully you're prepared for that. it will warm up again. i'm trying to make sure both of you are happy. >> do what you can, mike. >> already. welcome back, a hrbgs us. nice to see you. temperatures in the mid to upper 50s except ukiah and clover detail. clear lake, 63. san francisco, 55. along with san mateo. san ramon, morgan hill, 57. oakland, 58.

nice, cool temperatures. look this afternoon. low to mid-60s along the coast and san francisco. low 70s arounded bay. low to mid-70s inland. we'll have the latest on our accuweather 12-hour planner. a little bit of a warming trend. michael is getting even more dangerous. here's alexis. >> staing off quiet for the wednesday morning commute. a live look at an empty san mateo bridge. flipping over to traffic maps. we have a little red getting out of the jersey stretch. 27 miles per hour. 17 miles per hour once you make it to 580. and slowing on the east bound side of 580 as well. we have road work scheduled there. they are picking up ahead of schedule or light volumes are not impacting that much. we are tracking breaking news at our live desk. a fire in contra costa..

the fire broke out on main street at 7th shortly after 2:00 this morning. we are told it took crews an hour to knock down the fire. no one was hurry. we are still waiting to hear back from the fire investigators on a possible cause. as soon as we have that, we will pass it along. happening now, hurricane michael continues to strengthen. just look at that. it is ready to bear down on the florida panhandle. it is extremely dangerous category 4 expected to make landfall this morning. states of emergency have been declared in florida, alabama, and georgia. 375,000 people in the path of the storm asked now to evacuate. and a tornado watch has been issued for parts of the florida panhandle and georgia. maggie panama city beach, florida >> reporter: the raw power of hurricane michael is already being felt on the high seas.

>> battled 13 to 15 foot swales last night. >> reporter: all passengers on the empress of the sea are safe. but now the storm is take direct aim for the florida panhandle. overtphaoeurbgtsist became a strong category 4 storm. >> this will be devastating. >> reporter: seen from space, this hurricane is intimidating, stretching 400 miles. it left a path of destruction and more than a dozen dead in central america. thaerts are not taking any chances, fearing high winds and double digit storm surge. >> we can rebuild your house but not your life. your family members, take care of them. keep your families safe. >> the governor is asking 375,000 people to evacuate. many residents heeding the warning, saying this is shaping up to be the worst this region has seen in decades. taking to shelters. >> understanding this storm may be a little bit more intense

than others. >> and h