these are live pictures from paris now where you can see it is daylight and we are seeing the structure of the notre dame cathedral still there after that smoke and flames yesterday. and we're hearing from a journalist who was among the first to go inside the damaged cathedral. he says the smell seared his throat and the water on the ground soaked his feet. >> just incredible. robert hardiman says that the cathedral is remarkably not totally destroyed. notre dame's spire collapsed and in the blaze -- while the full extent of the damage is still being calculated, french praemd president emmanuel macron has vowed to rebuild the 850-year-old church. >> abc's brad mielke looks into the daunting task to rebuild. >> as we start to learn how extensive the damage to notre dame really is, the question is

becoming how do we rebuild it? as the flames spread the cathedral was already undergoing a large renovation. the biggest contributor was american catholics. now the price tag and time frame are about to expand dramatically. i spoke to an architecture professor at university of notre dame here that the states who specializes in preserving world heritage sites. so, i asked her, how bad is it. >> in the interior what people are going to -- as they walk in, everything will be very hot, but also wet. charred soot around. it's going to have a lot of destroyed wood. there is a big loss in what used to exist in the site. imagine you're walking in and the whole ceiling has opened up in front of you. only side walls remain. the front part of the building can be maintained, but the back part has been lost to the site now. this is actually millions of dollars of loss.

it's so much that reconstruction is going to mean we're going to have to remove all those charred areas, clean up all the walls, and then actually see which parts of the stained glass paintings, all of those, can be restored and brought back. >> i asked her how long rebuilding could take. she said in her experience this could last anywhere from five to ten years. we'll have a hot more on the next steps on "start here" later this morning. listen on apple podcasts or your favorite podcasting app. as proven by one other massive fire, ancient buildings can be restored to their former glory. >> you may remember, 26 years ago, a fire raged through the 1,000-year-old windsor castle. a faulty spotlight ignited a curtain during rewiring work. >> the $60 million restoration project took five years to complete. remark aeshlgs remarkably, only two works of art were lost in the fire. >> so that shows you that it can

be restored. >> it can. >> you know, it may take some time. but one thing that we said this morning is that the spire actually that came down yesterday, you know that video of it coming down, amidst the smoke and the flames and people gasping as they saw that happen, that was not the original spire. that was actually rebuilt after it was destroyed before. so it can all come back. >> yes. coming up, we're hearing from the parents of that college student killed after getting in a car she thought was her uber. >> they're vowing not to let their daughter's death be in vain. you're watching "world news now." now." women are standing up for what they deserve in the office in the world and finally, in the bedroom our natural lubrication varies every day it's normal so it's normal to do something about it ky natural feeling the lubrication you want nothing you don't get what you want

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because... the parents of the south carolina college senior killed after she got into a stranger's car are talking about their loss. >> their daughter, 21-year-old samantha josephson, was last seen getting into this chevy impala, this car she believed was her uber, after a night out with friends. police say the suspect now in custody was not an uber driver at all. >> abc's george stephanopoulos sat down for an exclusive interview with her parents saying making ridesharing

services safer is now their mission. >> south carolina is in the process of passing the law for the illumination of the signs. i think that's great. it's a great start. >> put the signs up in the windows? >> yes. i think that's great. but with this, what happened was that samantha mistakenly thought this was her uber. >> it wasn't even an uber driver? >> it wasn't an uber, he was impersonating an uber driver. and one of the things that we want to do, there are 19 states that do not have front license plates on their cars. and south carolina happened to be one of them. so you can't see when the car's pulling up, you can't see the front license plate. i think -- i'm not saying to change all the states and make it mandatory, but if you're going to be in the ridesharing industry, then you should have a front license plate. and there are so many things that all of us have to do, all of us parents, that important question you ask before you get in the car, what's my name? >> it has to be automatic.

like putting on a seat belt. you have to ask, what's my name? because it can be anyone. if the only thing we can do is to help change the way everyone thinks so no one else has to go through this. >> i think also another real big thing that can change the rideshare industry is by putting the qr code on the back windows of both the driver's side and passenger side. >> like a bar code. >> a bar code. you put your phone up to it, it turns green, that's my ride. if it's not your ride, it turns red. the technology's out there, it's a very easy way to implement this -- the safety of the consumer as well as the driver. >> i can imagine you've probably been hearing from so many people across the country since this happened, reaching out with sympathy and help. >> yeah, we've heard from strangers all over the country. and so many people have told us, it could have been our daughter, our son, ourselves. and i think it's just become such a natural or new phenomenon, using uber. but we trust people.

and you can't. you have to change the way that the laws are to make it safer. because that's our nature. we automatically assume we're safe. but we all put our loved ones in an uber or lyft. >> we grow up teaching our kids not to get into cars with strangers, and what do we do? we get in cars with strangers. >> on the heels of that interview, lyft also came out with a statement saying that it's announcing new security measures. the company says measures include continuous background checks, enhanced identity verification, which those parents were just talking about, enhanced verification, and which are key to strengthening the security of our community. that was the statement from lyft. we've talked about when it comes to ridesharing, there are things that people can do to make sure they are in the right car and make sure their experience is safe. >> and your heart goes out to those parents because they are dealing with an unfathomable loss. it was such an innocent mistake that happened that night.

and their daughter got into the car with an apparent predator. but you know, when you're using those services, you have responsibility to also protect yourself and make sure you're checking those license plates.

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welcome back. we're looking at live pictures of notre dame as paris light shines through. >> the cathedral burned as parisians and people around the world watched in horror and prayed for the best. abc's david wright is there in paris. >> reporter: in paris, heavy hearts. ♪ the city, the whole nation, really in mourning. >> this is the biggest symbol of paris. >> it's quite striking here to see all the parisians who come here gather to mourn. >> to me it's the most beautiful

monument of paris. >> reporter: notre dame, our lady of paris to those who live here, a landmark ravaged by flames. this is one of the most important landmarks in france. there's a feeling of great sadness here. all along the seine, people are singing hymns. notre dame survived the french revolution. this is where napoleon was crowned emperor of france. it survived two world wars and the nazi occupation. the heart of france. while the cause of this fire is not yet known, authorities are investigating if it might have been linked to the construction work. now the reconstruction work will have to begin all over again with much more damage to undo. macron has vowed to rebuild. but what stood for centuries could take a generation to restore. can they rebuild?

>> i don't know if i will be alive when they will finish to rebuild it. it will be very, very complicated. >> reporter: complicated, yes. and tragic, too. but notre dame is the heart of paris, and the french people are determined to do what they can to save her. ♪ i'm david wright in paris. >> and a big thanks to david there. in paris as you see that shot of people singing. we saw people crying yesterday. so many emotions tied to this. as we said this morning, you know, the timing of it is, you know, part of what plays into this just days away from good friday and easter sunday. you see what looks like they could be inspectors there on the towers. a silver lining in all of this, that those structures are still there this morning. >> we know as they monor hot spots the investigation is under way there as so many people look for answers and as they mourn

across the world for this iconic building this cathedral as we mark holy week here across the world.

this morning on "world news now," the iconic heart of paris in ruins. >> the world watched in horror as the notre dame cathedral burned for hours. its spire falling, consumed by flames. new details about the priceless artifacts that were saved and new reaction from a nation in shock. >> with the 850-year-old cathedral nearly destroyed, catholic faithful are reflecting on its significance in history, what it symbolizes for the people of france and everyone around the world. we're just days away from seeing the mueller report. how president trump is reacting to its imminent release. as the king of the course prepares for a new tournament, we're meeting the man who bet big on tiger woods and ended up a millionaire. hear what he has to say to tiger himself.

it's tuesday, april 16th. thank you for joining us on this tuesday morning. so many people waking up to the awful news that we all watched yesterday. the shock and devastation in paris. a massive fire engulfing the world-famous notre dame cathedral just days before easter. >> here's a live look at what france is waking up to this morning, the iconic gothic cathedral badly damaged but still standing. you can see the scaffolding from the project that was happening when we know a flame sparked and we saw those devastating images. >> while most of the wooden roof is now gone, the church's structure has been saved including its landmark towers. the mayor of paris tweeted this photo showing some of the treasured artifacts and items rescued from the flames. also spared, the crown of thorns believed to be worn by jesus. the fire considered to be accidental, broke out around 6:30 in the evening just after notre dame closed and it raged

for nearly five hours. >> now as the inferno spread, some parisians and tourists gathered to sing hymns while others prayed, cried, or just watched helplessly. >> reporter: one of paris' most iconic landmarks up in flames. this is the moment notre dame's spire fell. crowds gasping as it came down. the cathedral has stood for 850 years, withstanding two world wars. now we're seeing for the very first time what it looks like inside. john dickas watching in terror from a balcony as fire engulfed the building. >> there was no question that was the most horrifying moment. my partner and i were standing on the balcony watching. that was the moment that she started crying when we watched that spire fall down. it's just, you know -- it's such an iconic part of the paris skyline. >> reporter: parisians gathering near the cathedral monday night at moments breaking into holy song. ♪

"ave maria," "hail mary." the fire ripped through the gothic church during holy week, seen as the most important on the christian calendar. >> this is a hugely important place for catholics, for the history of france. and it has been at the center of the story of the parisian people. >> reporter: fire crews saved the iconic towers. precious artwork is also said to be okay. but two-thirds of an entire roof was charred. an emotional president emmanuel macron vowing to rebuild and asking for international help. president trump offered his thoughts on the damage, saying the cathedral is one of the great treasures in the world. janai, kenneth? >> notre dame has stood for more than 850 years surviving wars, sieges, and the nazi occupation. >> so much history there. in just a few hours one of the world's finest gothic cathedrals was nearly obliterated. from the iconic facade to the towering spire, the notre dame cathedral's impressive place on

the paris skyline may never be the same. first built in 1163, the elaborate cathedral was the tallest of its kind. visitors were met by ornate sculptures depicting the last judgment, impressive gargoyles leering down from on high, elaborate rose windows painstakingly decorated with stained glass. after narrowly escaping total destruction during the french revolution, the embattled church was saved by napoleon. in the late 18th century. throughout its 850-year history, the church has served as a coronation site for kings, a safe haven for soldiers, a grand tourist attraction with more than 13 million people visiting notre dame each year. the monument has offered inspiration not only to the faithful for centuries but to artists, from painters to performers. the famous bells and iconic architecture even inspiring victor hugo to pen "the

hunchback of notre dame." a quintessential part of parisian history, the cathedral was in the midst of a renovation when the fire started. that renovation potentially responsible for the blaze, but also partially to thank for saving nearly a millennia worth of artwork with many irreplaceable paintings and statues already pulled out of the building because of the project. so many people in shock as they watched this yesterday. i'm sure by now many of you have seen that image of the spire coming down right here amidst all of the flames and smoke. onlookers were gasping and crying out at that sight as they watched thatll happen. that spire was actually not the original on the cathedral, it was rebuilt in the late 1700s after it was badly damaged back then. >> we know the original framework of this historic cathedral really was the fuel that really caused this fire to bloom the way that it did. some of that wood there is not

only centuries old but it's believed that when the cathedral was built, that that wood was 300 to 400 years old. some really large oak trees. and again, it really provided the fuel for this blaze there. and we know that's this is just having a ripple effect throughout the world. so many people on social media have been posting images of themselves standing in front of that cathedral. i think if you open up instagram, facebook, you see those images of people really mourning the loss here. and coming up later in this half hour, our will ganss will take a closer look at the impact that cathedral has and continues to have on this world. >> we've been talking about this all morning long. back here at home in this country, we're days away from getting the first look at the much anticipated mueller report. the justice department expects to release a redacted version of the special counsel's findings on thursday. >> white house sources say president trump's advisers are concerned it may contain examples of obstruction of justice but the president says he's not worried.

>> i heard it's going to come out on thursday, that's good. and there can't be anything there because there was no crime. there was no anything. the crime was committed by the other side. this crime was all made up. it was all a fabrication. >> president trump was in minneapolis discussing the economy and tax reform as he faces stepped-up demands for his tax returns. the president's attorneys sent a letter to the treasury department arguing that releasing his tax returns would be unconstitutional. house democrats are now giving the irs until next tuesday to turn over the filings for the last six years, but treasury secretary steve mnuchin had called the deadline arbitrary. >> i'm not aware of there's ever been a request for an elected official's tax return. but we will follow the law. and we will protect the president as we would protect any individual taxpayer. >> on monday democrats also subpoenaed deutsche bank and other financial institutions as they look into the president's finances. it's part of an investigation into claims of potential foreign

influence in the political process. united airlines is extending cancelations for its fleet of boeing 737 max jets. the company says its 14 max aircraft will remain grounded through early july while boeing works on a software fix to a flight control system. that system has been linked to the two deadly max jet crashes since last october. united's move follows similar schedule adjustments from other airlines. american has canceled max flights through august 19th. southwest through august 5th. actress lori loughlin and her husband have pleaded not guilty to the charges they're facing in the college admissions bribery scandal. they are charged for allegedly paying $500,000 to help get their daughters into the university of southern california. last week actress felicity huffman was among 13 parents who entered guilty pleas in the admissions scam. huffman's next court appearance is scheduled for may 21st. for the first time since 2005 tiger woods is preparing for a tournament as the reigning masters champion but woods hasn't said publicly where that tournament will be.

the only thing he has said is his first win in a major in 11 years won't change his schedule. >> meantime, one man has cashed in on his tiger picking up his fifth green jacket. james adducci won nearly $1.2 million in las vegas after betting on woods to win in augusta. the wisconsin day trader was asked what he would say to the man who helped him become a millionaire. >> i would tell him that in that moment that he won and i won, what was the most special for me and it's why i placed the bet in the first place was just seeing him share that victory with his kids. you know, to me he's a real guy with super-human golf abilities. and in that moment, he had something with his kids that he's never had before. >> back to tiger, he's receiving another accolade for his masters win. president trump tweeted he's giving woods the presidential medal of freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

no word on exactly when the president will bestow that honor on him at the white house. but he says he's going to. >> we know the two of them are golfing buddies. as for the guy who made that bet, he said he was $25,000 in debt after christmas after a business of his went under. he says betting on tiger woods, his first sports bet ever, he got the money in part by selling amazon stock. >> wow. >> what a beginning to 2019 that guy's had. >> i think $85,000 bet, he put it all on tiger. >> and that paid off big. coming up, prepare to pay up to visit one of california's most popular tourist attractions. plus the latest on the destruction across the eastern u.s. after devastating storms. and we'll return to our top story, firefighters on the scene at notre dame. we'll look at the landmark's ties to hollywood. you're watching "world news now." sun care is self care. i used to not love wearing an spf

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welcome back to "world news now." these are live pictures from paris where the sun has come up the day after we all watched the devastation at the notre dame cathedral. firefighters still on the scene, but there you can see the scaffolding that remains where

yesterday we saw those flames and that smoke. we'll have a lot more ahead this half hour and all morning long as we continue following that. back here in the u.s., it's now the northeast's turn to clean up after severe storms. strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning damaged buildings and some of those people in the storm's path were hurt. >> a utility worker in central new jersey narrowly escaped death when the fallen live wire there he was handling exploded and set off a fire. his safety gear kept him uninjured. >> he got out of there fast. >> yeah, he did. >> about 50 miles to the north, lightning was striking 1 world center here in -- 1 world trade center in new york city. the spire was not damaged. >> a north carolina woman had to be rescued after a possible tornado knocked her home off its foundation, trapping her. >> she suffered only minor injuries. abc's marcus moore has details on the destructive weather. >> reporter: new destruction in the east from that severe weather outbreak. a tornado damaging a dozen buildings in laurel, delaware. from the air you can see the destruction.

torrential storms threatening to delay the start of the boston marathon. runners forced to huddle in shelters. this after 30 tornados tore through seven states. >> there it is. it's hitting shelby right now. >> reporter: this twister leaving a 17-mile path of destruction through shelby, ohio, sunday. six people were hurt. >> hurry, hurry, hurry, it's coming this way! >> reporter: in alto, texas, sunday an ef-2 followed by a ef-3. an hour apart, leveling parts of the town. there were three people here when it happened. they managed to escape by crawling out the front door there. they are thankful to be alive. >> we're still getting. the reports of tornados on the ground. >> reporter: the town of franklin, texas, taking a direct hit from an ef-3 tornado with 140-mile-per-hour winds. >> i've seen tornados but nothing like this. >> reporter: and tragedy in angelina county, texas. 3-year-old jace creel and brother dylan were killed when a tree crushed the car they were in. their parents survived. in cherokee county they're well into the process of trying to clean all of this up but the break in the clouds will not last long.

more severe weather is expected to hit this area on wednesday. marcus moore, abc news, cherokee county, texas. >> our thanks to marcus there in texas. suburban denver firefighters were called to an early morning emergency on an icy lake. >> a deer had fallen through the ice and couldn't get out on its own. the firefighters put on their cold water rescue gear, broke the ice, and pulled the animal out. they warn that this should be a warning to humans too because any remaining ice is likely to be thin now. >> we've seen so many of those rescues throughout the winter. and a warning as well from the centers for disease control and prevention. measles cases are soaring in the u.s. >> 90 new cases were reported if the last week for a total of 555 confirmed cases in 2019 alone. the disease has been reported in 20 states with the largest number of cases in the new york city area. health officials thought the disease had been wiped out in the u.s. in 2000 but a big resurgence lately. coming up in our next half

hour, how a dog was rescued more than 100 miles out to sea. but first what you didn't know about the cathedral of notre dame. that's next on "world news now." now."

the iconic facade and towers of notre dame are still standing this morning, and that is something that yesterday a lot of people did not think they would see as all of that smoke was billowing from the cathedral. we saw those flames roaring as the spire came down. so this is some good news, a silver lining in that awful, awful fire there. >> and it is a good point because as we saw those incredible images yesterday, the intensity of that fire, it really seemed that it was going to overtake that entire cathedral, centuries old, after we know that a lot of it is wood, especially the original framework there.

but today in the light of day in paris, in the heart of paris, in the heart of that city, we see that cathedral still standing. >> the landmark has been a pop culture staple for hundreds of years and our will ganss is here with the impact of notre dame all over the world. >> oh, yeah, you know, for so many of us, we've only seen notre dame in movies and read about it in religion classes or seen it referenced in art. but that's more than enough to make us stand in awe of notre dame from wherever we are in the world. this sketch echoing throughout the corners of the internet this morning like the bells of notre dame themselves. the instagram post showing quasimodo clinging to the cathedral he called home. this particular version of notre dame and its most famous fictional inhabitant from the disney film "the hunchback of notre dame." ♪ just to live one day out there ♪ >> reporter: the 850-year-old church a staple of pop culture, made famous worldwide in victor hugo's 1831 novel. almost two centuries ago hugo writing, the church of notre dame de paris still no doubt a majestic and sublime edifice. the film in 1939.

and several musicals inspired by hugo's novel as well. notre dame providing a backdrop for many of the romantic big screen scenes. taking place in the city of love. gene kelly's "an american in paris" before sunset. >> just to think that notre dame will be gone one day. owen wilson at "midnight in paris." even disney's "ratatouille." notre dame is the subject of some of the world's most talented artists, picasso. rivera. matisse. the feat of architectural achievement drawing about 13 million visitors each year. the most popular landmark in paris, even more so than the eiffel tower. catholics from all over the world coming to visit the cathedral, whose construction began in 1163 and was opened in 1345, taking nearly 200 years to complete. the home to religious artifacts including the holy crown of thorns which were purportedly on jesus' head when he was crucified. millions more reading, watching and hearing about the cathedral all over the world. while paris is tasked with rebuilding, the cultural legacy of notre dame still standing

strong. even for those of us that have never been there, so many reasons to love that building. >> it really is a feat of architectural achievement. >> thanks, will. architectural achievement. >> thanks, will.

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it's time for "the mix." one of these things is not like the other. >> what are you doing? >> he's trying to sell me out. it is wear your pajamas to work day. the day after tax day, you've dealt with so much stress. >> oh my gosh. >> you shell out all that cash. >> you're so cheesy, i would never, ever stoop to this level. >> you need to relax. >> i mean, i have higher standards. >> plaid. plaid. look at you. >> whoo! >> you look -- when you hold that up like that, you look like just a floating head. just a floating head on plaid. mine is actually like a giant hoodie and i'm never giving it back.

this is incredible. >> like a flying squirrel. >> this is incredible. you're right, a little bit. so yeah, april 16th, a way to reduce stress after all those taxes, especially the new tax law, that was tough. >> this is a look at me when i get home. >> there's a look at him in our meeting. >> at "world news now." this is you throughout the rest of the morning after this show. >> it is. >> giant blanket and all. natural pajamas day, everybody, go to work like this. have you seen that crooked road in san francisco, pretty iconic, pretty famous? apparently the city's thinking about charging people to drive down that road. $10 to drive down it. people would pay that. good way for revenue as well. >> i bet some neighbors around here will be pretty pleased if it keeps some traffic off the world. >> the world-famous lombard street. in the summer months an estimated 6,000 people a day visit the 600 foot long street creating lines of cars that stretch for blocks. >> so the neighbors are going to be very pleased with that. two baby girls in the womb, twins, i think that's what they

call those, on an ultrasound it looks like they're already -- >> going at it? >> sibling rivalry, yeah. >> whoa. >> it looks like they're kind of boxing. >> who's winning, though? >> i don't know. >> the girls are boxing. >> this is so interesting. >> you know what there is a new sport called fetal boxing. >> oh stop it. it really does look like they're duking it out in there. the two baby girls, nicknamed cherry and strawberry online -- >> cherry and strawberry. >> we love those names. obviously this has gone viral because it's so interesting. >> there's only enough room in the womb -- >> for one of us. >> and you fought with your sister, right, growing up? >> no, not really. >> yeah, there we go, yeah. i fought and i won. hey, confetti popper back fires on dad here in a really, really bad way. wait for it. >> get ready, celebrate. >> wait for it. oh! >> oh. >> in the groin. >> oh.

>> yeah, father there in santa maria, california, the son's 5th birthday. america's funniest home videos on "world news now." oh!

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learn more at rethinkbutts.org this morning on "world news now," all eyes on the heart of paris. in notre dame cathedral. a massive blaze consumed the historic cathedral. tonight a new look inside where amid the smoke and ashes a cross is glowing. >> the world watched with sorrow as the inferno engulfed the medieval cathedral. we're hearing from all corners of the globe, and presidents and american catholics. and new this half hour, the first republican to challenge president trump in the 2020 race. >> former governor bill weld formally announced he's running for the gop nomination. does he have a shot? a "ruff" rescue caught on camera. a dog found more than 100 miles out at sea. you have to see the moment it's

brought to shore and see who will adopt it. it's tuesday, april 16th. good morning, everyone. just incredible images that we saw in paris. >> yes, yesterday we saw the smoke billowing and the flames at the notre dame cathedral. >> that is where we begin this half hour with the beloved cathedral ravaged by fire as paris and the rest of the world watched in shock. >> overnight our first look inside the damaged cathedral, the cross near the altar still in its place. the flames apparently erupted in the attic filled with wooden beams dating back to the middle ages. much of the roof was destroyed but firefighters managed to save the structure of the church and many priceless artifacts. paris came to a halt as the flames raced through the cathedral, bringing many people to tears as others broke out in song.

>> notre dame is located on an island in the middle of the seine river which complicated the effort to extinguish the inferno. here's a live look at the historic cathedral now. the sun has risen over paris. you see the scaffolding there. we know there was some renovation work that was being done when this all sparked. but in the light of the day there, you see the walls of that cathedral still standing, which is good news for many who are walking up to that river there, to that site, to see it. >> some who really did not think that when the sun came up today that they would still see that. >> abc's david wright has more from paris. >> reporter: an icon of paris, the very heart of the city in flames. the whole world watching in disbelief. the spire of the 850-year-old notre dame cathedral collapsed, caving in the roof, engulfing this historic landmark in flames. american john dickas in pair watched from the balcony in shock. >> we watched the spire come down about two minutes ago from our apartment.

the sky is still full of smoke and you can smell it just standing on our balcony. you can smell it in the air. i mean, it's happening right in front of us. it's just sickening. >> reporter: the first reports surfaced at 6:50 p.m. paris time, an ominous image of smoke billowing from notre dame. >> there's fire in the background. >> no! >> reporter: then to the horror of onlookers, the first flames burst through the ceiling. the inferno quickly out of control. the cause unknown. but it engulfed scaffolding from a $6 million renovation project. authorities are investigating whether a construction worker may have accidentally sparked the blaze. crowds of onlookers transfixed. this building has withstood revolutions and two world wars. the history of france written in stone. 400 firefighters rushed to the scene surrounding the cathedral.

but at times powerless against the raging inferno. as the fire ferociously spread, authorities scrambled to try and rescue priless art and catholic relics from the 850-year-old landmark. the mayor said the process is partially successful. notre dame, the most visited location in all of france, 30 million tourists a year. french president emmanuel macron said the fire took part of everyone in france with it, adding, our lady of paris is in flames. >> it's quite striking here to see all the parisians that come here to gather to mourn. >> i don't know what to say. for me it's the most beautiful monument in paris. >> reporter: i'm david wright in paris. president trump also chimed in on the catastrophe. take a listen. >> the fire that they're having at the notre dame cathedral is something like few people have witnessed. it's one of the great treasures of the world. and it's burning very badly. looks like it's burning to the

ground. >> and the president also tweeted, perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out, must act quickly. to which the french civil defense agency responded with, quote, all means are being used except for water bombing aircraft, which if used could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral. >> the cathedral is really the heart of paris. its construction began in 1163. and it was completed in 1345. >> it is the most visited monument in france. more visitors than the eiffel tower. the medieval roof structure is known as the forest because it required a forest of trees to build it. >> it underwent extensive renovations in the 19th century. just last week, 16 copper statues were removed from the roof during the current restoration. >> seeing this historic cathedral in flames really captivated the world, including cecelia heudebourg, an american journalism student currently in paris. >> this is definitely historic. i've never seen something like this. and people have been standing here for hours now, taking

pictures. i've seen here a group of catholic people gathered and started singing different songs, different religious chants. so it's very emotional. very heavy. and for now people are kind of lingering. they're not sure when this will end. for french people here, this is a landmark we see every day and it's very imposing. so erasing it from the landscape is traumatizing for sure. >> amazing perspective she's able to give there as an american in france who saw all of this happening. stay with abc news for continuing coverage of the notre dame inferno, and we'll have live reports from paris later this morning on "gma." here at home the louisiana man accused of setting fire to three black churches is now facing hate crime charges. 21-year-old holden matthews was denied bail after prosecutors laid out evidence against him and added charges declaring the arsons as hate crimes.

matthews is pleading not guilty. a fire official claims his phone contained images of the fires before law enforcement even arrived on the scene. the justice department plans to release a redacted version of the mueller report to congress and the public this thursday. grand jury testimony and other sensitive information from the russia investigation will be blacked out. but white house sources say president trump's advisers are concerned about information on obstruction and testimony from some of the witnesses. the president slammed the report on twitter saying it was written by angry democrats. president trump has a challenger for the republican presidential nomination. former massachusetts governor bill weld says it is time for the gop to return to the principles of abraham lincoln. the 73-year-old's announcement does not mention trump at all, but it did mention, quote, great

political strife. weld is considered a long shot for the nomination. it's the lull before the storm in most of the u.s. today. a new severe storm system is moving into the plains tomorrow. a storm from the last system damaged two churches and a warehouse of a safety equipment company in pennsylvania. a tornado cut a path of destruction through laurel, delaware. one person was injured after a tree fell on a house. the rural northern ohio town of shelby is cleaning up after a tornado ripped a long swath through the area. it was on the ground for 17 miles, but today is shaping up much better with showers across the upper midwest and the pacific northwest. heavy rain and snow in the rockies. the weather should be rather pleasant in the rest of the country. bunrod has a new lease on life thanks to oil rig workers who pulled the dog out of the sea off the coast of thailand. >> way off the coast of thailand, 137 miles from land. the chevron workers saw the dog swimming in the gulf of thailand and used rope to rescue it. they don't know how it ended up so far from shore. >> their best guess is the dog fell off a boat. bunrod's condition is improving and one of the workers told us he plans to adopt it. >> adorable.

that dog is adorable. the whole story is great. >> the rescue took about 15 minutes. that is a lucky dog. >> very lucky. still to come, an outpouring from around the world about the tragic fire in paris. plus, we're at the marathon finish line in boston with a story of true inspiration. in "the skinny," see which "idol" contestants made the cut and the moment that brought nearly everyone to tears. you're watching "world news now." i'm alex trebek, here to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month.

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welcome back to "world news now." we take you live to paris where we're getting our first look of the notre dame damage after the fire ripped through it for hours on monday night. france's president emmanuel macron is vowing to rebuild the historic cathedral. some dramatic footage shows a life-saving rescue in the gulf of mexico. 13 people had to be saved on sunday after their pontoon boat went down in rough seas and strong winds. >> a sheriff's office marine unit crew raced to the scene and rescued 10 people. they got to the scene quickly because the crew was on board at a ceremony blessing their boat. after getting that blessing, they made the rescues. this morning the little boy

tossed from a third-floor balcony at mall of america is said to be fighting for his life. >> the man accused in the attack is now charged with premeditated first-degree murder. police said he told them he went to the mall that day intending to kill. here's abc's alex perez. >> reporter: new details about 24-year-old emanuel aronda, the suspect police say coldheartedly grabbed a 5-year-old boy and threw him nearly 40 feet from a third-floor balcony at the mall of america. according to court documents, aronda telling investigators he had cased the mall the day before and intended to kill someone, an adult, but chose the boy instead, adding, he was aware it was wrong. the horrifying scene unfolding friday. >> we could see the emts over the little child, and all we could see are his little feet. >> reporter: the suspect's motivation, police say, he was angry because he had been rejected by women he approached at the mall. aronda, who's facing first-degree attempted murder charges, had been banned from

the mall in the past for throwing water in a woman's face and destroying property. his family says he has mental health issues. >> what happened to that baby is so unfortunate. but it's going to bring light to mental illness. >> reporter: the 5-year-old boy, his name is landen, his injuries are life threatening. loved ones say he faces many surgeries ahead of him. the suspect is due in court tuesday. alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> our thanks to alex there. lots of sore feet, legs, and other body parts taking a well-deserved rest after the 123rd boston marathon. >> more than 30,000 runners took part in the 26.2 mile race, the first held on april 15th since the deadly terror attack six years ago. this year featured a photo finish in the men's division. kenyan lawrence cherono took the lead in the final few hundred feet. on the women's side, ethopian worknesh degefa took the crown. there was history in the wheelchair division. 20-year-old daniel romanchuk is the youngest ever to win that

title. >> the day featured special moments. video of two runners helping a third cross the finish line has gone viral. there was marine machai herndon crawling to the finish line after his legs cramped. he said he was determined to do it for two friends and a journalist killed in afghanistan. powerful, powerful image there. college basketball's top player officially one and done. >> duke's zion williamson has declared for the nba draft where he's expected to be number one. he took to instagram to thank his now former teammates and coach along with his family. the nba draft lottery is next month. cleveland, new york, and phoenix have the best chance at getting the top pick. none of us are surprised by mr. zion's announcement there. >> a surprise to no one. a good chance that we could end up seeing him here in new york. he said it would be fantastic to play in new york. a chance we'll get him, so we will be watching closely. >> he has an open invite to stop

by here any time. >> zion, come on down, we'll chat with you. >> come on, let's have some one on one. when we come back, see who got booted from a "game of thrones" watch party. >> will, was that you? and why kelly ripa is apologizing. "the skinny" is next. "the skinny" is next. skinny" is next. who's got the time to chase around down dirt, dust and hair? so now, i use heavy duty swiffer sweeper and dusters. for hard-to-reach places, duster makes it easy to clean. it captures dust in one swipe. ha! gotcha! and sweeper heavy duty cloths lock away twice as much dirt and dust. it gets stuff deep in the grooves other tools can miss. y'know what? my place... is a lot cleaner now. stop cleaning. start swiffering.

♪ caught me off guard. >> this is "skinny" time on a tuesday morning. we begin with "american idol." america voted sending four "idol" hopefuls home on last night's episode. >> ryan seacrest announcing the seven contestants who received the lowest amount of votes. each of those folks able to sing one last time, trying to convince the judges to save them. >> uche in the bottom belting out "diamonds" by rihanna, the performance prompting lionel to jump up and use his save. he's now in the top ten. >> luke surprisingly letting some fellow country crooners go, opting to save demetrius.

katy chose to save alyssa raghu, meaning riley, evelyn, eddie and ashley are not making it through to next week's top ten. >> with those four sent packing, "idol's" top ten include madison vandenberg who katy called the next kelly clarkson at her audition. wowing the crowd again, joining her along with those judges' saves are walker, lacy, jeremiah, wade, lane, alejandro. next to the most talked about coachella performance since beyonce changed the whole game last year. as we showed you ariana grande was joined on stage at the famed california music festival by none other than that 'n sync minus j.t. >> yeah, at least four-fifths of 'n sync. we've learned justin timberlake wanted to be there, he just couldn't make the rehearsals with his boys. lance, chris, j.c. and joey. because he was wrapping up his world tour. >> he's a little busy. ariana and the guys posted for a

photo backstage and j.t. posted it saying, you guys killed it last night. >> also killing it at coachella, ariana herself, she made a reported $8 million for that show alone. she raked in the big bucks for that one. apparently they needed a headliner and they got one. >> yes, they did. >> another big number, 17.4 million, that's how many people watched the final season premiere of "game of thrones" on hbo. that's an all-time record. >> someone who might not have seen the whole thing, chrissy teigen, whose husband john legend kicked her out of his watch party because she talked too much. the sneaky supermodel snuck back in thanks to a pair of handy scissors. >> oh, that's funny. she's going in there, i'm back in, you can't keep me out of this room in my house, no locked doors in my house. hbo's 17 million viewers just a few more than have watched our "game of thrones" theme newscast. check it out. wnnfans.com. >> we can probably get that. >> just racking them. we can get close to 17 million, i'm pretty sure. >> right. from time to time there are frequently things we might want

to do over. >> kelly ripa might want a do-over for the beginning of her show. she reached back to grab andy cohen's hand but grabbed something else instead. >> i'm sorry -- i -- when we came out i was not expecting the car to be there, and i went to grab andy's hand and i grabbed your crotch by accident, i apologize. nothing says tax day like that. >> absolutely. >> so funny. >> nice welcome for your guest cohost. >> yeah, yeah. oops. >> okay, oops, yeah. keep your hands to yourself, kelly. aretha franklin still getting some r-e-s-p-e-c-t. >> the queen of soul awarded the pulitzer pride posthumously, becoming the first individual woman to earn a special citation prize since the honor was first awarded in 1930. the pulitzer board said the award was given to franklin for her indelible contribution to american music and culture over

five decades. >> miss franklin died last august at her home in detroit from pancreatic cancer. she was 76. this was a well-deserved award and we miss her every single day. >> still putting respect on her name. ting respect on her name.

the sun is out as parisians are now looking at what's left of their iconic notre dame cathedral. >> despite the catastrophic fire, its walls are still standing strong. a tribute to its history. the architecture that is so many hundreds of years old and a sight that many people did not think that they would see as those flames roared yesterday. reaction has been pouring in from around the world and will ganss joins us now with that. will, good morning. >> hey, good morning, guys. yes, notre dame is still a worldwide trend on twitter this morning. folks from all over the world sending well wishes to the city of love including many names you guys will probably recognize, from glenn close to josh groban

to diane von furstenberg to first lady melania trump to former president barack obama sharing his photo of his family inside the cathedral writing, it's in our nature to mourn when we see history lost but it's also in our nature to rebuild for tomorrow as strong as we can. anne hathaway, who won an oscar for her role in "les mis," posting this photo saying, while seeing her burn brings tears to my eyes, i know even flames cannot diminish her sacredness. still, not her. please, not her. ellie goulding saying, i am praying, which i don't do often, for that fire to be contained soon, utterly heartbreaking. so many lifting their voices to god as one of the world's most beautiful and historic cathedrals burns. singing "ave maria" on the streets of paris viewed nearly 10 million times since it was posted. one more remarkable image to show you, a twitter user posting this photo saying, i took this photo as we were leaving notre

dame about an hour before it caught fire. i almost went up to the dad you see there and asked if he wanted it. now i wish i had. twitter, if you have any magic, please help him find this. >> wow that photo, that gives me goosebumps. >> incredible. >> because yeah, that would be a very special moment for that dad and his daughter. i mean, just an hour before those flames. >> just a candid moment of a dad and his daughter there. i really hope, and i'm sure, you know, it's just a waiting game at this point, yeah. >> we've been talking about the impact. we've been seeing the outpouring on social media. but when you look at this, it's all about the timing as well, which is why this is really hitting hard. it's really one of the most religious weeks on the calendar. with good friday a few days away, easter on sunday, it just really hits hard, it strikes hard there. >> yeah. again, this is the silver lining that you're seeing right now. the structure still there despite how much devastation and that smoke and the flames that we saw yesterday. the spire coming down as

onlookers gasped. this is a silver lining in all of that darkness.

making news in america this morning, new images of notre dame in flames. the world famous cathedral gutted by fire. >> oh, my god. >> the spire collapsing, the roof destroyed. this morning the first pictures from inside the church offering new hope. plus, how priceless artifacts were saved just in time and how long it could take to rebuild. the fight for president trump's finances. democrats issue a subpoena for documents on his business dealings. the search for new connections to russia just days before the mueller report is released. rough seas rescue. the race to save more than a dozen people tossed into the