making news in america making news in america this morning, the massive spring blizzard hitting right now. 50 million americans feeling the storm's effects. highways shut down, flights canceled. farther west, extreme flooding. this boat crossing a highway. plus, the dust storms including this gustnado. the areas getting hit the hardest and what we can expect through the weekend. the deadly explosion rocking a major city. >> we just heard a loud explosion, like, boom. >> a coffee shop owner who said he have closing is killed moments later. why the search operation could take days. how locals are rushing to help the first responders. the hole picture. the scientific breakthrough allowing us to see for the first time, a black hole.

this morning, meet the college student who made it possible. breaking overnight, a collision after takeoff. damaging this american airlines plane. a consumer alert. why streaming live tv online is about to get more expensive. and the photo of a plus-sized model sparking debate. is this photo sending the right message? good thursday morning, everyone. i'm stephanie ramos in for janai norman. >> i'm kenneth moton. we begin with the massive spring blizzard slamming several states right now from the rockies to the great lakes. 18 states are expected to feel the effects of this potentially historic storm. that's about 50 million people. >> here's the current radar. six states have been placed under a blizzard warning as people gear up for heavy rain and blinding snow. the impact on travel could be nationwide. >> reporter: this morning, a major spring storm bringing a

temperature shock to millions of americans. >> this is kind of a pain in the butt storm. >> reporter: overnight, blizzard conditions and frigid air hitting the rockies where record highs in the 80s quickly plunged to 40 degrees. colorado's governor has even activated the national guard in case drivers get stranded. more than 18 inches of snow has already fallen in parts of south dakota. some areas could see 30 inches. in minnesota, near whiteout conditions south of minneapolis where part of this highway was closed after a number of crashes. in other parts of the country, it's severe flooding and wind causing problems. this gustnado blowing in colorado. the storm lifting a large swirl of the dust into the air, making it look like a tornado. and a blowing dust warning issued near lubbock, texas as winds gusted up to 70 miles per hour, causing chaos on the roads. at least six cars crashing on interstate 27.

and in the pacific northwest, flooding in idaho leading to a state of emergency, and near eugene, oregon, the water is so deep a boat was able to glide across this highway. incredible images. we'll take a closer look at your forecast coming up in less than five minutes. we turn now to that stunning testimony from attorney general william barr claiming at the u.s. government spied on the trump campaign. barr told senators he plans to get to the bottom of it, but democrats are accusing him of doing the president's bidding. abc's mona kosar abdi has the details from washington. good morning, mona. >> reporter: good morning, kenneth. this startling assertion from the nation's top law enforcement official has left democrats questioning, where do william barr's loyalties really lie? >> i just want to make -- >> reporter: in front of a senate panel on capitol hill, attorney general william barr dropping a bombshell saying he believes the fbi spied on president trump's 2016 campaign. >> i think spying on a political

campaign is a big deal. >> so you're not -- you're not suggesting though that spying occurred? >> i don't -- well, i guess you could -- i think spying did occur. yes, i think spying did occur. >> reporter: barr then went on to say he plans to set up a team to further investigate how the fbi handled the probe into russia's meddling of the 2016 election. the attorney general's declaration seems to echo the president's call for an investigation of the russia investigation, which he has long deemed a witch hunt. >> this was an attempted coup. this is the attempted takedown of a president. >> reporter: barr appeared to walk back on his assertion. >> i have no specific evidence i would cite right now. i have questions about it. >> reporter: barr made the remarks as senate democrats pushed him on how he reached his conclusion that the president did not obstruct justice even though special counsel robert mueller did not reach a determination.

>> the thing is you put this out there. i mean, the president went out and tweeted the next day that he was exonerated. >> reporter: this morning, democrats once again questioning barr's impartiality. >> he is not the attorney general of donald trump. he is the attorney general of the united states. >> reporter: and during the hearing, barr said he will be releasing a redacted version of mueller's report within a week hinting he's open to share more with congress than he has acknowledged. kenneth, stephanie? >> inside and outside of washington, people want to see that report. mona, thank you. the irs has missed the deadline set by democrats to turn over president trump's tax returns. treasury secretary steven mnuchin says he needs more time to consult with the justice department. mnuchin warns the request could set a precedent for disclosing personal tax information for political purposes. a lengthy court battle is expected. breaking overnight, a suspect is under arrest in

connection with the fires that destroyed three historically black churches in louisiana. a morning news conference is scheduled to provide more details, but reports say the suspect is the son of a sheriff's deputy, and his father turned him in. the fires were in st. landry's parish near lafayette. search crews are combing through debris after a massive explosion shook durham, north carolina. the blast downtown killed a coffee shop owner who said he was closing his store two minutes before a gas leak set off the explosion. 17 others were hurt. abc's tom llamas reports authorities want to make sure everyone is accounted for. >> reporter: now the search and rescue operation could take days. they're using listening and video devices right now to make sure they don't miss anything, and they're going to tunnel underneath all those bricks. now we have covered a lot of these gas explosions, but i have never seen anything quite like this one. that was a brick building that exploded sending bricks as big as this blasting out nearly 100 yards. one eyewitness telling me it felt like an earthquake. >> the explosion damaged a collection of porsches described

as one of the best in the country. 80 rare cars were in that building. restaurant workers in the area have been showing their generosity, cooking food for first responders, working at the scene for hours. to maryland and a deadly crash involving a school bus. a semi truck slammed into this bus carrying teenagers. it was hard to see as the car that got squeezed between the bus and the truck, a woman in that car was killed. the light at the intersection appeared to be red when the truck came through. as we turn to our top story and get a closer look at your thursday weather forecast. >> good morning. this major storm brings with it damaging winds, flooding potential, severe thunderstorms, major travel disruptions. watching out for blizzar througt portions of iowa and thunderstorms reaching down as far south as memphis, tennessee. 12 to 24 inches of snow towards

duluth, fargo, down towards omaha. we're looking for major snow problems and then the winds clock at 70 miles per hour. i'm accuweather meteorologist paul williams. >> hard to believe we're seeing this type of weather in april. >> right. >> all right, we'll see how it goes. coming up, some answers for why prescription drug prices are so high. also ahead, is this the end of "the enquirer" as we know it? the big news overnight about the future of the legendary supermarket tabloid. and next up for chip and joanna gaines. where the fa

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because... more than 20,000 people are expected to pack the staples center in los angeles today to pay their respects to rapper nipsey hussle. the memorial will be followed by

a 25-mile procession through south l.a., passing by the site where he was shot. the city is renaming the intersection in his honor. drug company executives got an earful from members of both parties on capitol hill during a hearing on insulin prices. they defended the price hikes and cited rebate programs that are available, but one lawmaker hinted that illegal price collusion may be at play. >> i don't know how you people sleep at night, and if you think you can, you know, just outtalk us without any transparency, without any accountability, i just want you to know your days are numbered. >> the executives insisted much of their profits are used to develop new drugs. the parent company of "the national enquirer" is nearing a deal reportedly to sell the tabloid. they came under fire after admitting they paid karen mcdougal $150,000 to keep quiet about her alleged affair with

donald trump. more recently, amazon founder jeff bezos accused the tabloid of trying to blackmail him about his affair. bezos is expected to meet with federal prosecutors soon to discuss his suspicion that officials from saudi arabia were behind those revelations. streaming live tv just got a little more expensive. youtube tv is raising its monthly price from $35 to $50. it's the latest service to raise prices while adding more channels. the rate will be even higher if it's billed through apple. chip and joanna gaines, the stars of "fixer upper" are getting their own network and it will replace the diy network seen in 52 million homes. the channel will focus on community, home, garden and food. it debuts next summer. a house with ties to an american gangster is no longer for sale. al capone's family home just sold for $226,000, more than

double the asking price. the mobster moved into the house in 1923, two years before he took over the chicago outfit. well, coming up, the incredible trick shot before the masters tournament. but first, what we're learning after seeing the first image of a black hole, and the college student bwho made it possible. plus, one of the smallest babies in america finally heads home. likely acidic and then what's happening is the weakening of enamel. now is the perfect time for a toothpaste like the new pronamel repair. this toothpaste takes it to the next level. it takes minerals and it drives it deep into the tooth surface so that we can actively help repair weakened enamel. i do think dentists are going to want to recommend the new pronamel repair toothpaste. it's such an easy answer and it will do exactly what their patients need. of non-drowsy claritin... and relief from symptoms caused by over...

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we have seen and taken a picture of a black hole. here it is. >> reporter: scientists have spent decades trying to capture this, an image of a flaming orange yellow and black ring. the picture was taken 55 million light years away with a global network of telescopes. >> that black hole discovery that is in the news today is really stretching our minds. >> reporter: black holes which are collapsed stars are so elusive and hard to see because their gravity is so strong. not even light can escape. they are considered one of the great mysteries of the universe. >> everything will be different from now on, going forward because of the fact that we saw the most energetic part of the universe. >> reporter: a young scientist is getting the credit for that technology. katie bauman, a grad student at m.i.t. led a team that developed the algorithm to capture the image. the technology took three years to develop. here's bauman in 2016.

>> black holes still have not been directly observed. although we have some idea as to what a black hole might look like, we have never taken a picture of one before. however, you might be surprised to know that we may be seeing our first picture of a black hole in the next couple of years. >> reporter: and now that dream finally a reality for bouman who shared a picture on facebook of herself reacting as the history-making picture was processing. i don't think we have heard the last of that very smart student. there is another headline from space. a privately funded israeli spacecraft is set to land on the moon today to study the moon's surface. up until now, only the u.s., russia and china have landed on the moon. and the jet that had to make an emergency landing in new york after a collision right after takeoff. the plane's wing was damaged as it left jfk airport for los angeles. the pilot reported the plane may have hit a sign or a light on the runway. now a beloved high school principal from new jersey has died after agreeing to donate

bone marrow to a total stranger. mourners gathered to honor him as he told the school newspaper that if a little bit of pain can give someone years of joy, it's all worth it. nelson was matched through a bone marrow registry with a boy in france, but nelson slipped into a coma during the procedure and died. >> even if you have never even spoke a word with him, his impact was felt the moment you walked in as a freshman. >> one custodian spoke about the fact he looks at all of us the same. he saw all of us the same. so that respect came through. >> such a selfless act. doctors insist donating bone marrow is a low risk procedure. a baby born so early that he had almost no chance of survival has beaten the odds and is now thriving at home with his family. connor florio was born weighing only 10.9 ounces. his mother was just 26 weeks pregnant when she gave birth, but after eight months of

dedicated care by doctors, connor now weighs 11 pounds and he's getting stronger every day. >> for me, it doesn't really seem real because we waited so long for him to come home. i don't think it's going to sink in until he's actually in our house. >> it feels like we have spent so much time in the hospital that the hospital is the new normal, and we're going to have to get used to being normal again. >> connor's parents say one of his favorite things to do is to pull out the breathing tubes, but doctors say he needs to keep them in for a little while longer. >> such fantastic news there. well, in sports round one of the masters tees off this morning, but don't look for trick shots like this. check that out. jordan spieth skipping his ball across the water, and onto the green. he pulled it off at the par 3 contest which included golfers' kids dressed as caddies. that little guy. and the nba season ended with a triple-double for retiring miami heat star dwyane

wade. his 16-year career ended in brooklyn with lebron james and chris paul cheering from the sidelines. up next in "the pulse," the high school student who achieved perfection. also ahead, what president trump said about george washington that's raising some eyebrows. plus, the photo of a plus-sized model sparking debate online. plus, the photo of a plus-sized model sparking debate online. and the pill that starts with "f." farxiga, along with diet and exercise helps lower a1c in adults with type 2 diabetes. although it's not for weight loss, it may help you lose weight. do not take if allergic to farxiga. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. stop taking and seek medical help right away. tell your doctor right away if you have red color in urine, or pain while you urinate or a genital area infection since a rare but serious genital infection may be life-threatening. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. other serious side effects include dehydration genital yeast and bacterial infections in women and men, urinary tract infections, low blood sugar,

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our because of smoking.ital. but we still had to have a cigarette. had to. but then, we were like. what are we doing? the nicodermcq patch helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. nicodermcq. you know why, we know how. ♪ time to check "the pulse." we begin with something president trump said about george washington. >> politico reports that when he toured washington's home with the president of france last year, he said he couldn't understand why washington didn't name the compound after himself. he's quoted saying, if he was smart, he would have put his name on it. >> president trump reportedly said, you have got to put your name on stuff or no one remembers you. >> the tour guide then pointed out washington did succeed in

getting the capitol named after him, and the president said, good point. a photo of a plus-sized model sporting a bikini on the beach has triggered a debate on social media. >> this was posted by the raiser company, gillette venus, and twitter couldn't handle it. there was a flood of comments about her health saying the picture is glamorizing obesity, but others praised the company's move including the model herself. >> if you look at my image, it's joyful. it's happy. it's inspired. i'm living a great life. for a lot of people, all they can see is fat. we're taught that our bodies are boundaries, that they are things that trap us into what we can and cannot do, and all i'm trying to show women is that you can break through that boundary. >> gillette said it's committed to representing beautiful women of all shapes, sizes and skin types. >> we come in all shapes and sizes. next, let's give some props to a high school junior in

florida who achieved perfection on his s.a.t. jacob harrison goes to school near tampa. >> he earned a rare 1600, and he and his mom just couldn't believe it. >> i wasn't really shocked. i showed my friend because i was walking to school, and we both kind of freaked out for a second and ran to class. >> i thought he was teasing me, and when i saw the 1600 and realized his name was on his collegeboard account and saw his name on it, i realized it was true. >> so impressive. less than 1% of students who take the s.a.t. get a perfect score. >> smart kiddo. well, we have all heard that a dog is man's best friend, right? but in this case, the dog is actually a dog's best friend. >> this miniature schnauzer named molly really wanted to get over this gate, but she just couldn't get the job done. >> come on, molly. then her big brother, marco comes along and gives her that push she needs to grab a treat on the other side. >> you know what? >> so sweet. >> it's nice to get a little help from a friend, right? >> absolutely. what a smart pup. he was right there to do the job.

more news after this. to do the job. more news after this. asks... when it comes to type 2 diabetes, are you thinking about your heart? well, i'm managing my a1c, so i should be all set. right. actually, you're still at risk for a fatal heart attack or stroke. even if i'm taking heart medicine, like statins or blood thinners? yep! that's why i asked my doctor what else i could do... she told me about jardiance. that's right. jardiance significantly reduces the risk of dying from a cardiovascular event for adults who have type 2 diabetes and known heart disease. that's why the american diabetes association recommends the active ingredient in jardiance. and it lowers a1c? yeah- with diet and exercise. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration, genital yeast or urinary tract infections, and sudden kidney problems. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. a rare, but life-threatening, bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection, ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction.

do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. so, what do you think? now i feel i can do more to go beyond lowering a1c. ask your doctor about jardiance today. the oats feed your body fiber. some oats, fiber helps keep things moving through your system. which is great. because when you're good to your system, it'll be good to you. what sore muscles? what with advpounding head? .. advil is... relief that's fast. strength that lasts. you'll ask... what pain?

with advil. >> this is abc. breaking news at london police arrest julian asanction. eight months and still cracked, but engineers are gearing up to fix the concourse certain. kim kardashian west please approach the west. kim k. has big legal ambitions. a bay area law firm is helping her out. good morning. it's wednesday, april 11. let's start by looking at the drive. we have a cold front today. that means the breeze right side going to pick up and the temperatures are going to be much cooler than yesterday. right now we are starting off from cool to mild, 46 in san

ramon toll 56 in san francisco. our highs today, notice they are nowhere near the 70s. a lot of low to mid 60s out there. 59 in san francisco. the warm spot, 67, in antioch, and 68 in fairfield. we will he take a look at the breezes and the snow up in the sierra in the next half hour or so. here's alexis. off to a cool start. no significant issues. the cash lanes on the bay bridge on either side. no issues if you are using fast track. car pool lanes are not open yet. i am not sure what bus is doing. a quick check of overnight road work that wrapped. northbound 680 past the ben isha bridge. crews were done at 3:00 this morning. everything is back open. tonight into tomorrow from myth midnight to 4:00 a.m. you will see a full closure.

use 78 to 0 instead. wikileaks founder julian assange has been arrested. >> outside the embassy in london is where he was taken into custody this morning. he is no longer welcome at the baes after he ----- he repeatedly broke the rules of his asylum. the big one answered question this morning, will the uk extradite assange to the u.s.? we will continuing to monitor the story and will bring you updates throughout the morning. happening this morning, the public memorial service for rapper and community activist nip see hustle will start at

10:00. following the service, thousands are expected to line the streets for a 25-mile funeral procession from staples center through south los angeles, watts, and englewood. the l.a. times reports the nation of islam will provide security along the route. hustle was shot and killed last week outside his marathon clothing store. for millions of pg&e customers electricity bills could skyrocket if big wildfires continue to burn here in california. the warning comes in a new report prepared for the governor avenues office by a uc burkely utilities expert. fees could jump 50% in one year if pg&e is found responsible for another round of wildfires. it's 4:30. if you are just joining us here's a quick check on weather and traffic. >> breeze right side calm, 26 at