morning america." have a fantastic weekend. making news in america this morning, the killer avalanche burying skiers at this resort. >> hundreds of skiers came together to look for these guys. >> as a major winter storm moves across the country, millions bracing for a slick morning commute and a winter wallop this weekend. the time line of the storm and who is getting the worst of it. you're grounded. president trump takes nancy pelosi's plane away canceling her foreign trip because of the government shutdown after she threatened his state of the union address. this morning, the lack of action in washington to get people back to work and what it's costing. new video of what's being called the largest group of families seeking asylum ever to cross into the u.s. after they burrowed beneath a border fence. what happens to them now and new

information about the number of children separated from their families. also this morning, one mother's warning after she says her son's sippy cup exploded. days before the biggest game of his life, one of the star players on the new orleans saints spends the day working on a trash truck. and later, good thing he has nine lives. this cat's daring escape down the side of a dam. good friday morning, everyone. we begin with the dangerous winter weather including a deadly avalanche as powerful storms move from coast to coast. >> at least one person has now died after an avalanche buried skiers in a resort in new mexico. we're now hearing from one of the men who helped rescue them. meanwhile, on the radar that

big storm is moving into the plains after slamming california. it'll be a slick morning commute for millions as the northeast braces for a winter wallop this weekend. overnight the storm barreling across the country. millions are bracing from the plains to new england. the danger of winter weather on display in provo canyon in utah. an avalanche burying a major road in 30 feet of snow. and in taos, new mexico, a terrifying race to save skiers buried by an avalanche there. >> multiple victims. unknown how many at this time. >> hundreds of skiers coming together going up and down the mountain searching for survivors. one of them new mexico's former governor gary johnson. >> hundreds of skiers that came together to look for these guys, and when we found them, i mean they were gone. >> reporter: two people were trapped under the snow for more than 20 minutes. at least one didn't survive. that area of new mexico receiving 15 inches of snow in the last week. the storm has already soaked california where at least five storm-related deaths are reported.

a mudslide crushing cars in los angeles. >> it just sounded like either like a very giant tree falling or like a car hitting another car at like 80 miles an hour. it was like a loud bang. >> reporter: watch as this semi collides with a vehicle on highway 91 in anaheim hitting the center divider. one person was taken to the hospital. in the hollywood hills 21 people evacuated as the earth beneath them gave way. this home now on the edge of a cliff. near ventura this rv park surrounded by feet of water. the rest of the country now preparing for snow and ice. public schools in omaha closed this morning. and airlines are waiving changing fees as a second storm begins to take shape before hitting the northeast. and the morning commute could be slick from philadelphia to boston today, and then that second storm makes its way to the midwest tomorrow before hitting the northeast by sunday. the full forecast from accuweather coming up in less than five minutes. now to the latest fallout from the month-long government shutdown. president trump flexing his executive muscle by blocking

house speaker nancy pelosi from using a military plane. the president upended pelosi's trip to afghanistan one day after she urged him to delay this state of the union address. meanwhile, no new talks are planned to break the impasse over the border wall as the shutdown drains the finances of hundreds of thousands of federal workers. one report claims federal contractors are losing up to $200 million per day. abc's stephanie ramos has more from washington this morning. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: kenneth, good morning. the political back and forth between house speaker nancy pelosi and the president continues, and with no resolution in sight, nearly a million federal workers who have not been paid are going to extreme lengths to make ends meet. it is day 28 of the partial vetd democrats refusing to negotiate with the president until the government re-opens. >> while many democrats in the house and senate would like to make a deal, speaker pelosi will not let them negotiate.

>> democrats are united behind nancy pelosi, but the house speaker did advise them to go ahead and have discussions with the white house. >> trump's wall is imaginary but my bills are real. >> reporter: this comes a day after the speaker suggested president trump reschedule his state of the union address amid the shutdown. >> it is a date that we agreed to. it could have been a week later, and it could be a week later if government is open. >> reporter: still no word whether the president will postpone the address, instead this is the letter speaker pelosi received. the president denying her use of a military aircraft to visit troops in afghanistan and allies in brussels even while some lawmakers traveling with her were already on the way to joint base andrews. >> it's vindictive. it is unbecoming a president of the united states. >> the government is shut down right now. yes, i think it was appropriate. >> reporter: hours later the white house releasing a statement saying the president canceled his delegation's trip to switzerland for the world

economic forum. this as nearly a million federal workers have gone without a paycheck for the month. >> many embarrassed that they would need to for the first time depend on food stamps, food pantries and handouts. >> reporter: the senate is basically gone today and all of next week with no votes scheduled. but members are on a 24-hour notice to return to capitol hill if there's a resolution to this government shutdown stalemate. guys, back over to you. >> and it goes on. stephanie ramos in washington, thank you. president trump's former attorney now admits that he paid a tech company to rig online polls to boost trump's standing before he launched his 2016 campaign. michael cohen tweeted, quote, what i did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of donald trump. i truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn't deserve it. president trump's current attorney rudy giuliani fired back calling cohen a liar. he said the president had no knowledge of any effort to manipulate polling. prince philip is resting at

home this morning after he crashed his range rover into another car. doctors who checked out the 97-year-old prince say he was not injured. witnesses say philip appeared to be shocked and shaken as he stood near his overturned suv. >> there was quite a bit of debris on the road. we all had to move into the center of the road and go past slowly. we saw a range rover on its side and the car in the hedge. six or eight ordinary cars all parked around with people helping and just beyond that a normal police car with the lights going directing traffic. >> another witness claims the prince told police he was blinded by the sunlight. police administered alcohol breath tests to the prince and to the other driver. we're told both were negative. >> time now for a look at your weather forecast for this friday morning. >> good morning. as snow exits the northeast, well, we're waking up to 1 to 3 inches of snow for your friday

morning, but this isn't really the one that everyone is talking about. the big snowstorm everyone is talking about is in the north central planes already starting to form here for your friday anticipate we're talking some heavy snow through parts of nebraska and into iowa throughout the day. this storm system moves towards the east as we head through the weekend, and saturday into sunday look at this. some very intense snowfall, some places picking up two to three feet. i'm meteorologist melissa constanzer. coming up, an easy way for parents to keep track of what kids are buying online. also, think you're inundated with advertising. well, now there is an idea to put billboards in space so they're visible in the night sky. and later new video from the southern border after hundreds of migrants burrowed beneath a fence into the u.s. to seek

we're back with a nighttime eruption at this volcano in central mexico spewing lava and volcanic ash into the air. the ash plume rose an estimated 21,000 feet wednesday near the town of san nicholas near los ranchos, but no injuries have been reported. police in houston are looking for a man they believe shot and killed his estranged wife and critically injured his adult daughter in a church parking lot. police say the women were inside their suv when they were hit by five or six gunshots. they've not arrested the shooter saying he was last seen driving a slightly damaged white suburban suv. a judge in chicago acquitted three white police officers charged with trying to cover up the deadly shooting of a black teenager by another officer. the judge said a dash cam video showing the death of 17-year-old laquan mcdonald did not tell the whole story. she also found no indication that the officers tried to hide evidence. the officer who actually shot and killed mcdonald has been

convicted of murder. he's scheduled to be sentenced today. the former head of the cbs network les moonves is now fighting the network for his $120 million severance. moonves was fired last fall amid sexual misconduct allegations. the company's board decided to deny him the severance package. now moonves has demanded binding arbitration to challenge that decision. amazon is targeting teenage shoppers with a new program. amazon for teens allows users to have their own profiles and place their own orders. but then parents are given the chance to either approve or deny the order. parents can also set spending limits if they sign up to automatically approve orders. if you enjoy stargazing at night, you might not like this idea. a new company has a plan to put billboards in space. a russian company launched small satellites to unfurl a sail about 30 feet long that would create a pixelated billboard that can catch and reflect sunlight and would be easily

visible on clear nights. it could be lit up to display a company's logo. we'll see if this idea takes off. >> we'll see. well, coming up, a rare treat in the night sky this weekend. but first when we come back, new information about the number of migrant children separated from their families at the border. and later, one mother's warning after she says her son's sippy cup exploded. warning after she says her son's sippy cup exploded. (alarm ringing) wake up to great tasting flavor. (alarm stops) belvita breakfast biscuits. flavors like delicious blueberry or decadent chocolate,

gently baked in a tasty biscuit. (alarm ringing) belvita breakfast biscuits. it's time to taste the day. burning of diabetic nerve pain these feet raised a bouncing boy and climbed the ladder in the hardware business. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. now i have less diabetic nerve pain. ask your doctor about lyrica. you don't need to go anywhere dad, this is your home. the best home to be in is your own.

home instead offers personalized in-home services for your loved ones. home instead senior care. to us, it's personal. dad! hiding when i was supposed to be quitting. i thought, i should try something that works. i should try nicorette. nicorette mini relieves sudden cravings fast. anytime. anywhere. nicorette mini. you know why. we know how. back now with new video showing hundreds of migrants crossing the southern border after they burrowed beneath a barrier to get into the u.s. border patrol agents are calling the apprehension this week unusually large. >> it comes as we learn that more migrant children may have been separated from their parents than previously thought. this morning new video of what border patrol says is the largest group of asylum seekers ever to cross into the u.s. 376 people including nearly 180 kids all burrowing beneath a border fence near yuma, arizona.

officials say smugglers dug at they were processed by border patrol agents. abc's matt gutman is there. >> to some degree they're being exploited by smugglers who are telling them to go in specific routes. now, this one is a very easy one. all you have to do is cross the border. but there are other places where you either have to go over a border wall, a barrier like this or beneath it. in some places they're lifting barbed wire in the river and submerging children to go through it, and we've seen some of this video. it's incredibly harrowing and dangerous. >> reporter: on the same day less than a half hour away hundreds of other migrants were also taken into custody. this man and his young daughter from el salvador crossed the border with only the clothes on their backs. a bottle of water and paper showing he's the cld's father. thchces ofhemangt are good that's because if migrants arrive with a child under 18, the law says they must be released within 20 days.

>> once they're here they know that they're not from mexico so they can't be returned to mexico and eventually they're going to claim asylum. the only thing that solves that problem is a change in the law and the reason they're trying to say that they're family units is because they know that if they're a family unit, they are going to be released within 20 days. >> reporter: meanwhile, a new government report says thousands more children were possibly separated from their parents by immigration authorities than previously known. the watch dog report says the total number is, quote, unknown because of poor communication between federal agencies. in a new document leaked by a government whistle-blower, it shows the trump administration considered the option of separating families in 2017 as a way to curb illegal immigration at the border. the memo challenges what homeland security secretary kirstjen nielsen has said several times in the past writing on twitter in june, we do not have a policy of separating families at the border, period. in response to the document, a

dhs spokesperson says the trump administration has made clear that all legal options are on the table to enforce the rule of law. rein in mass unchecked illegal immigration and defend our borders. while the total number of illegal crossings has dropped, the number of parents with children is on track to quadruple from two years ago. a mother from idaho is recovering after a scary moment with a sippy cup. she says she was pouring milk into the light-up cup when the lithium ion battery inside the cup exploded. she says she was treated for chemical exposure to her lungs and face. her son thankfully was not around at the time. but just the idea that he could have been hurt left her terrified. >> if it had been in his hands, i don't even want to imagine what would have happened. if it choked me up that bad and burnt me, it could have taken a limb off a child that little. >> so scary. the cup's manufacturer claims it would not have exploded if it was being used properly. but the mom says she didn't do anything unusual. she wants a third party to examine it. we'll be seeing something pretty rare way, way, way, way

up this weekend. a super blood moon will dominate the skies on sunday night. the celestial event will be the highlight of the year's only lunar eclipse. the event begins at 9:30 p.m. eastern. the total eclipse hits at 11:41 p.m. eastern when we'll see the blood moon. >> so cool. in sports a thrilling upset at the australian open this morning. maria sharapova beat defending champ caroline wozniacki, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. sharapova moves on to the fourth round. the nfl's championship is coming up sunday with the rams facing the saints and the patriots against the chiefs. saints star running back alvin kamara will be on the field. earlier this week he carried on a season long tradition of doing blue collar jobs in new orleans. kamara took a turn as a garbage man on his day off tuesday. his shift was also used to shoot a commercial for the waste company. pretty cool. up next in "the pulse," the new wedding chapel in las vegas that's all the rage.

also ahead, meet the 7-year-old barber who is a cut above the rest. and one cat's epic slide to safety down this dam. when cravings hit, hit back. choose glucerna, with slow release carbs to help manage blood sugar, and start making everyday progress. glucerna.

carla is living with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. she's also taking prescription ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor, which is for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole was significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus letrozole. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. carla calls it her new normal because a lot has changed,

but a lot hasn't. ask your doctor about ibrance. the #1 prescribed fda-approved oral combination treatment for hr+/her2- mbc. ♪ going to the chapel and we're gonna get married ♪ time to check "the pulse." >> you're already married. >> starting with a picture perfect chapel made in instagram heaven. >> the till death do us part wedding chapel is opening today in las vegas. the tiny black and white venue was created by a graphic artist to look like a flat mural but it's a legit three-dimensional chapel. >> so cool. couples can rent it for $250 for one hour of unlimited photos or for 500 bucks you can hold a real wedding there. that is cool.

next new evidence that babies born at this time of year have a leg up in the lottery of life. >> yeah, a new study finds babies born in late january -- >> oh, late january. >> -- or february are most likely to become rich and famous. those kids are born under the zodiac sign aquarius. >> what about early january capricorns? that's what i am. they're said to be more energetic and imaginative, which may lead to high-paying creative careers like acting. a different study found babies born early in the year most often become doctors and ceos. >> what do the leos get? >> nothing. scraps. all right, well, next to a story a cut above the rest. one barber is getting rave reviews for creating some of the freshest cuts in houston, and she's only 7 years old. >> yep, alijah hernandez can snip and clip with the best of them though she needs a stool to apply her craft. she's even collected a few trophies. her dad says she's been studying his techniques since she was a toddler.

>> i taught her the right maneuvers, and her watching me over time, from there on on, i was like, hey, she's going to be the coolest barber. >> a fade is like when you're cutting hair, it shows detail of your haircut. >> so cool. the aspiring barber is years away from earning a professional license. until then she's practicing on family and friends. >> yeah, alijah, i need an appointment. >> alijah, you can handle this one easy. all right, well, here's a cat who used one of its nine lives. it was trapped on top of a dam and made a slide to safety. >> the frightened feline had lodged itself in part of spillane, indiana. crews from the army corps of engineers shut off the water, then placed a boat at the bottom and waited for the kitty to take the plunge. that cat is okay. nobody knows how it got stuck up there though in the first place. what was that cat doing? >> we said one of its nine lives. we don't know what that kitty was doing before this >> that cat might only have two or three left.

>> maybe, but as we said, it's okay. >> good thing for that cat. more news after this. eshing. ♪ at northwestern mutual, this is what our version of financial planning looks like. tomorrow is important, but she's only seven once. spend your life living. find an advisor at northwesternmutual.com. fresh-baked, and hand-crafted, with 100% clean ingredients. just a few good reasons to give into your cravings. now delivering. panera. food as it should be. so are all these. they work together doing important stuff... like keeping your vital organs running and what not. the hitch?

like you, your cells get hungry. feed them... with centrum® micronutrients. designed to nourish and revitalize you... at the cellular level. restoring your awesome... on the daily. feed your cells with centrum® micronutrients today. on the daily. when your blanket's freshness fades before the binge-watching begins... that's when you know, it's half-washed. next time, add downy fabric conditioner for up to 7 days of downy freshness. downy and it's done. before people invite something they want to know who you are. we're almond breeze. and we only use california-grown blue diamond almonds in our almondmilk. cared for by our family of almond growers. blue diamond almond breeze. the best almonds make the best almondmilk. (gasps) for real cold and flu protection. with lysol, you can help protect them from a real cold. lysol disinfectant spray kills the #1 cause of the cold and clorox wipes don't.

lysol. what it takes to protect. this is abc 7 mornings. oh, it's friday. it's friday. we're ready. >> yeah. >> i feel like we've been through it week. >> we have. >> weatherwise anyway. >> come out the other side a little drier. there's still a chance of rain. >> okay. >> no change. so far so good. >> sprinkles coming through mill valley. >> mainly the north bay. that's the best chance today. but we'll get rain sunday. i promise you after that, it looks like two weeks without any storms. the storm track will shift. you can see some of the best radar returns across the north bay. let me put this into motion. unlike yesterday and the day before and the day before, these are sliding from northwest to southeast. they could reach everywhere at some point today. for the most part, it's a north bay event.

temperatures are a little bit cooler. mid-40s to 50s. the farther south you are, you'll see sunshine. 60s farther north. the mid to upper 50s with a chance of a shower. here's sue. >> checking on the san mateo bridge on the commute, 4:28. everything is looking pretty good. a few cars cross thag cause way there over towards the highrise and foster city for a 20-minute drive. there's a look at the golden gate bridge. the chp issued a high-wind advisory for the golden gate. caution there. there was roadwork over the waldo grade. we'll check to see if that was picked up. we have roadwork that we'll check on in a minute also. breaking news this morning. tesla is cutting its workforce by 7%. this is the second major layoff in less than a year. >> elon musk said thousands of people will lose their jobs as the company struggles to make a profit. abc 7 news reporter matt keller is live in san jose.

matt? >> reporter: good morning. disa pointing news for employees as the road ahead for tesla is going to be very difficult. this was all announced in an e-mail to employees this morning. it was also posted on the company's website. musk is hopeful tesla can post a tiny profit in the current quarter. he said the company cannot support the size of its staff after expanding the workforce by 30% in 2018. musk previously stated that tesla had 45,000 employees. 3,150 is a cut of 7%. this comes after they delivered 245,000 electric cars and suvs last year, nearly as many as all previous years combined. the company still fell short of its goal of manufacturituring m than twice as that. checking pre market trading, tesla stock is down more than 6%. reporting live in san jose, matt keller, abc 7 news. thank you, matt. in the east bay. oakland teachers are planning a one-day sick out to protest contract talks with the district.

it will focus on class sizes and wajts. this is video of a protest last month. teachers and students plan to march to get the attention of city leaders. oakland unified says schools will stay open today. >> it is now 4:30 if you're just waking up to us. governing. let's check in on weather and traffic. we start with mike nicco. >> i want to put a storm impact scale. it will provide scattered showers. the least likely is the south bay. this is the more typical storm that's sliding southeast. less than a quarter of an inch. if you get that high, it's mainly in the north bay mountains. here's a look. at least it's not raining. you're going to find damp spots this morning. as we head throughout the day, things will progressively get drier on the roads. i'll show you the commute planner. 48 to 51. warmer this morning. you'll need the sunglasses from time to time as the sun peeks out between the cloud