if you think that's bizarre, wait until you hear this next story. the estranged husband of a veteran new york city police officer says his wife hired a hitman to kill him. >> he tells abc's t.j. holmes he had to fake his own death just totay alive. >> i didn't want to believe it. but apparently it's true. >> what convinced you? >> when the feds staged my death. >> reporter: isaiah carvalho was supposed to be dead by now according to this criminal complaint that alleges his estranged wife of four years, an 90-year-old nypd officer orchestrated a murder for hire plot. >> i was shocked. i was taken aback by the whole thing.>> i was shocked. i was taken aback by the whole thing. i didn't know how to react. >> reporter: federal investigators say 34-year-old valerie cincinelli, 12-year nypd veteran, asked her boyfriend to hire a hitman to kill carvalho

and his teenage daughter. instead investigators say the boyfriend turned to authorities and agreed to have his conversations with her recorded by the fbi. details of the alleged plan laid bare in the criminal complaint, including where and when she is said to have wanted the murders to take place saying, it would not look suspicious because the murder would take place in the hood or the ghetto, and that if she was questioned by police she would have nothing to worry about because she would be home at the time of the murders. cincinelli had allegedly been plotting since february but carvalho only found out friday when police showed up at his home with a request. >> they ended up taking me to an undisclosed location and had me fake my death. and took pictures. >> what was that like for you? >> the craziest thing i've ever had to experience in my life. >> what did they have you do that morning? >> they had me sit in my car,

they put glass on the floor and all over me, and had me hunch over into the passenger seat. >> reporter: as part of the fbi sting, detectives went to cincinelli's home to say her husband was murdered, and later fbi agents posing as the hit men texted fake death photos for her to see. she was arrested a short time later after allegedly discussing an alibi with her boyfriend. cincinelli's family has come to her defense this week. >> i guarantee you my daughter is innocent of this. >> if or when, maybe i should say, you have an opportunity to speak to her again, what are you itching to say to her? >> why? >> you don't seem to have the faintest idea why right now. >> no. >> such a bizarre story. >> it really is. our thanks to t.j. there. so wendy's and health inspectors are looking into a florida man's story at one of his restaurants in the panhandle. >> this video.

come to your tv and watch this. viral video shows what appears to be a wendy's employee taking a bath in a sink at a restaurant. a spokesperson says it was a prank by someone who no longer works at the restaurant and quote clearly did not use good judgment. health officials are investigating. i -- i mean -- >> i would roll up to that drive-thru and say, i'll get a -- nothing. you can keep your junior bacon cheeseburger. >> whip out your phone, i'm telling, i'm telling. could you imagine? no. >> dude, get out of there. it's good that you're bathing. >> right, we appreciate that. but -- >> right. >> wrong place. >> just stay away from the frosty machine. don't do anything to that. >> that's the thing about eating not at home. you just never know. >> i don't want to know. >> right. >> i don't want to know. coming up, it's been one of the best-kept secrets inside the cia until now.

>> getting a rare and exclusive look inside an annual art show that we never even knew existed.

♪ secret agent man secret agent man ♪ ♪ they've given you a number and taken away your name ♪ it's been one of the nation's best-kept secrets, america's secret agent men and women putting on their own art show. >> they've been doing it for more than two decades inside cia headquarters, completely hush-hush until now. abc's devin dwyer takes us inside for an exclusive look. >> so most of the cia officers keep their works under wraps. it's top secret. but here you see inside the agency headquarters here. what they do in painting, in art form. these are displays from artists all around the world into what's called the intelligence art collection. >> reporter: it turns out art is exactly how hundreds of cia officers for years have been sharing details about their personal lives with colleagues.

and now for the first time with all of us. >> chuck, looks great. great to see you. >> we hire a lot of talented people for other skills, then they get this opportunity to practice their art and read a little bit about themselves. >> your been the curator of this show for the past three years. it's one of the sort of unsung secrets in a place of secrets. >> reporter: chuck is the volunteer curator of the annual cia art show. it's become a cult classic with works created by painters, sculptors, glass blowers, and photographers all from within the cia's ranks. >> i am the creative director for the directorate of science and technology. and i focus on film video and special effects. when i first got into the art show, it was really about revealing something about ourselves, something personal. and we have these periods of discovery with our colleagues in which, i didn't know you were an artist, i didn't know you were a

painter, my daughter's a painter. in some cases our officers have stressful jobs and they do pretty amazing things, and offers an opportunity for them to blow off some steam. the benevolent and humble doctor. when we start to get into pieces like this, we start to get into some of the core creative aspects within the agency. >> are the artists allowed to sign their names? >> it really depends on their status. >> i noticed also you don't have anybody's last name. >> we want to identify and recognize the artists for who they are and the significant work that they do. at the same time, we've got to protect their identity. >> i wanted to stop at this particular specimen here because this is coming out at us. it's pretty interesting. >> yes, there is 3d art. asma has a long history of doing some great work here. >> chuck, i noticed there's a number of big black spots on your art show here. pieces missing. were these taken down?

>> some of the officers are undercover and so because we've got a news crew in, we've had to protect their identities by taking down their art. >> what do you want people to know about what it means to be a cia officer right now? >> coming here you see how real the people are. they're not shadowy figures, they're people. they have emotions and families and they're soccer moms and they're football dads just like everyone else. and being able to bring our whole selves to work is a benefit of working here, because outside, we can't do that. but inside, we can be everything that we are. >> artistic. beautiful. >> a big thanks to devin for that exclusive look and for blowing the lid off this one. >> devin, i almost felt you shouldn't have been in that hallway, our cameras shouldn't have been there. >> yeah. >> i -- i found that so interesting. >> so interesting. and so it's free and open to anyone who happens to have a top secret clearance. >> oh, top secret clearance. >> right? >> a lot of people have a top

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time for "this happened." before we get to our first topic there i want to say, this happened to me yesterday. i ran into an insomniac who said to tell you hello, her name is lauren. >> she recognized you? >> she did. >> that's what he really wants you to know. he got recognized on the streets of new york. >> lauren is expecting her first child, so she's an insomniac. proud. we say hello to all of our insomniacs and good morning to you. that happened to me. and this happened to this teen in illinois who was cheered on by a neighborhood postal worker while he was playing b-ball. listen to this. he's like cheering him on. ooh! get that slam dunk there.

the truck rolls up, yeah, buddy! you can actually hear -- it was a postal woman. she could be heard yelling "let me see what you've got." >> yeah! that is fantastic. >> we all need a cheering section. >> we do, we do indeed. so how about this. what? yeah, thank you jack, watch me go, watch me go, watch me go. >> what about me, jack? thanks, will! like we're on opposing sides. the nba finals up here. there's a kitten who's showing he ain't no fraidy-cat. >> is that a coyote? >> yes, this cat is ready to lay down all nine lives for this catfight. fighting off a coyote, protecting a home that's not even his. the residents of the home where this doorbell camera captured this whole encounter say they don't know that cat. that cat is not theirs. but that cat was going to bat for them. >> you know what that kitty

said, not today. >> not today. thank you, jack. >> not today. >> thank you, jack. rarrw! >> let's go, kenneth, head in the game! how about this, this happened. boxer bounces for bubbles. >> oh. >> and that's boxer the doggy. >> okay, yeah. >> so happy. i'm going to get this, i'm going to get this bubble, i'm going to get this bubble. that's skyler there. >> i need to get one of those bubble blower things. >> summertime. >> baby just got into the bubbles. >> oh, baby and bubbles. dogs and bubbles. we love the bubbles. >> thank you, jack, yeah, yeah! i can blow all the bubbles, all the bubbles! >> you got this kenneth. >> drop the mic, drop the mic, kenneth! also, this happened. a dog learns how to play fetch. these dogs need friends, y'all. >> they do. you know what, these dogs, you get another dog in the home because a dog can't be alone, be an only child in the home. the dog may need someone else to play with.

>> what are you saying? he's getting at something.

this morning on "world news now," more tornados touching down. >> from oklahoma to illinois, severe storms are leaving behind destruction and there have been 80 reported tornados this week and the system is not over yet. white house showdown. president trump going head to head with the democrats. the investigations under way that led him to storm out of a meeting that lasted just three minutes. also this morning the story behind this wild police pursuit. who was the woman who led police on a dangerous chase and how that dog that leaped out of the rv is doing. and this morning, we're moving on up. "the jeffersons" and "all in the family" rebooted with an all-star cast in a live television event.

we've got all the highlights, surprise appearances, and show-stopping monts just ahead on this thursday, may 23rd. good thursday morning everyone, thank you for joining us. good morning, you're still watching that, aren't you? >> i am because the reviews are in. the reviews are so good, i had to start watching it when i came in tonight. >> raving about it. >> and this morning. they are raving about it. >> yeah. >> as you mentioned. and i say that -- when i looked at some of the reviews, they said some of the lines were cringe-worthy because they really address racial issues head-on. remember the scripts were not changed. this is from decades ago. >> and it's still fitting today. >> yeah. >> so a lot to get to with that. so that will be fun coming up. we do begin with deadly storms that are raging through the heartland. >> the radar shows the heaviest activity stretching from oklahoma to michigan before the

system moves into the northeast tonight. >> and new images just in. missouri's capital has taken a direct hit overnight. a tornado in jefferson city sent debris 13,000 feet in the air. emergency crews are going door to door. power lines are down and hospitals are in disaster mode. >> flooding's also a concern as rob marciano tells us. >> reporter: new images of a tornado tearing across oneida, kansas as the national weather service again warns of a particularly dangerous situation. the storms have been relentless. dozens of tornados touching down all over the heartland for days now. west of des moines, iowa, an ef-2 tornado with winds 130 miles per hour killing a woman in her home. north of oklahoma city, watch and listen as this home crashes into the cimarron river. the shed carried away by the current. other homes hanging by a thread. the water eroding away the banks. nearly 9 inches of rain falling in parts of the state. outside tulsa, high-water

rescues. residents there climbing out their windows. at the keystone dam, officials releasing water at up to 1.6 million gallons per second. some communities now being urged to evacuate. here in tulsa you can see the arkansas river running high behind me. flood watches are posted and we've already had tornados on the ground again in eastern oklahoma. rob marciano, abc news, tulsa, oklahoma. >> our thanks to rob. as of late last night, a total of 80 confirmed tornados have been reported over the last three days. >> accuweather meteorologist paul williams joins us now. so paul, is this common? >> good morning kenneth, janai. when you take a look at may, historically speaking, these are the areas where we would expect and have the highest risk of tornado. you know, that includes portions of texas going into oklahoma, kansas, nebraska, going to iowa, missouri, portions of illinois, going down towards the mid south. now this is typically referred to as tornado alley in the first place. a couple of things typically happen in this general area and why it stays so volatile. steamy air coming off of the

gulf. a strong jet stream or low pressure system will that push through that adds more to the instability. dry air. a combination of all three tends to produce those gusty storms and they explode quickly. thursday afternoon, thursday evening from omaha to wichita to oklahoma city, lubbock, texas, another round of flash flooding, hail, isolated tornados. not just there, for the northeast as well with hail and isolated tornados possible from syracuse to pittsburgh, all the way over towards the philadelphia area. janai, kenneth? >> paul, thank you. now to president trump suffering another legal setback in his efforts to keep his financial information under wraps. >> a federal judge in new york refused to block a congressional subpoena seeking the president's financial record from deutsche bank and capital one. it followed a ruling monday that cleared the way for his accounting firm to turn over documents to congress. >> earlier the president railed against the investigations that triggered those rulings.

he stormed out of a meeting with top democrats saying he couldn't work with them until they stopped investigating him. abc's mary bruce has the details. >> reporter: moments before heading to the white house, house speaker nancy pelosi took a direct shot at president trump. >> we believe that the president of the united states is engaged in a cover-up. >> reporter: furious that the president refuses to cooperate with congressional investigations, pelosi is under mounting pressure from democrats to impeach. back at the white house, the president was watching. he made pelosi and democratic leaders wait for their scheduled meeting on infrastructure, arriving late, he shook no hands and immediately let loose on the speaker calling her comments terrible. then he marched right into the rose garden to unload. >> i walk in to look at people that have just said that i was doing a cover-up. i don't do cover-ups. >> reporter: the president declared he will not work with democrats on infrastructure or any other issue until they stop investigating him.

>> you can go down the investigation track, and you can go down the investment track or the track of let's get things done for the american people. >> reporter: back on the hill, democrats said they were taken aback. >> to watch what happened in the white house would make your jaw drop. >> reporter: they called the whole thing a setup saying trump was never serious about negotiating a $2 trillion plan to rebuild the country's crumbling bridges, roads and infrastructure. >> for some reason, maybe it was lack of confidence on his part, he just took a pass. and it just makes me wonder why, why he did that. in any event, i pray for the president of the united states. >> reporter: but on the question of impeachment, pelosi wouldn't answer. if this is a cover-up, why not begin movement toward impeachment? democrats have had their second victory in the courts this week. the president had tried to block deutsche bank from complying with a congressional subpoena

but a federal judge has now rejected that request. it comes after a federal judge also said the president's accountant has to turn over eight years of the president's financial records. these victories in the court are one of the reasons why pelosi and other democratic leaders are urging members to stay the course and to not rush to impeachment. mary bruce, abc news, capitol hill. >> our thanks to mary. maine is now the 25th state to report a case of the measles. state officials say a child who had been vaccinated is maine's first confirmed case of the disease in the last two years. >> they say it's unclear where the youngster was exposed to the measles. there were no serious complications and the child is now fully recovered. jeopardy james made it look pretty easy for his 25th straight win. james holzhauer only found two of the three daily doubles but still blew away his competitors. >> yeah, after correctly answering the final jeopardy, he wound up with just under $72,000. his 25-game total is now more than $1.9 million.

he's closing in on ken jennings' all-time total, $2.5 million. so this week we've been talking about, does this man have a weakness? >> does he? i mean -- >> jack wants to know, have i discovered the weakness? no, but i said that we -- at some point, so the show doesn't go bankrupt, they're going to have to come up with some crazy topic. >> what happened in 1928? >> yeah, things that happened in 1928. just any random things. oh, and they have to rhyme. let's see if he can get that. >> he's impressive. >> because at this point he's going to walk out of there with like $5 million. >> the man is good. he now has 17 of the top 20 one-day totals of all-time. so like all of the records at "jeopardy!" he's claiming all of them. >> do you remember -- >> all the money, all the records. >> since we like to show forrest gump clips around here, remember when he was running, running, running, just stopped, said i'm

tired, going home. that's james holzhauer. >> that's how it will end. >> i'm so tired of taking y'all's money, "jeopardy!" >> keep it. coming up, the type of music that smarter people listen to. first why andrew jackson will keep his place on the 20-dollar bill for at least a few more years. plus how jimmy kimmel stuffed us all into a time capsule last night, destination 1973 for the star-studded live reboot of "all in the family" and "the jeffersons." we're moving on up coming up on "world news now." " 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?

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a deadly plane crash near indianapolis is under investigation. two people were killed when the twin engine aircraft near mt. comfort, indiana crashed yesterday afternoon. the victims were the only people on board. the plane went down shortly after taking off from nearby indianapolis regional airport. an ntsb team is now heading to that scene. the woman who drove a stolen rv during a wild chase in los angeles is now charged with dui and several other charges. there were two dogs in the motor home with her during the chase. >> one of them jumped out, like you see right there, it happened on live tv. both have been treated and will be okay.

the dog that didn't jump has casts on two legs. both of those dogs have microchips and are expected to be reunited with their owners. thank goodness those dogs are okay. you won't be able to spend some tubmans next year. >> plans to put abolitionist harriet tubman's image on the 20-dollar bill are on hold. tubman was supposed to replace president andrew jackson next year. the delay is due to security changes slated for two other bills. that answer didn't go over well. >> my position is that i am focused on my responsibility to deal with the security features and a decision that -- >> okay, you've addressed that. and what about imagery? what about the representation? >> again, it's not a decision that is likely to come until way past my term, even if i serve the second term for the president, so i am not focused on that at the moment. >> the new timeline means the earliest a change would be considered is 2026.

a redesigned bill would come out two years later. mnuchin wouldn't say if he supported putting tubman on a new bill. >> so the timing for the new 20-dollar bill was set by the obama administration and it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. >> we know it got political early on when president trump weighed in saying that he felt like it was a political correctness to put harriet tubman on that 20-dollar bill. >> so as far as diversity, women, any of that, that's on hold. coming up in our next half hour, the miracle medical student. we'll meet the young woman who survived six brain surgeries on the way to getting her medical degree. but first the special treat that our own jimmy kimmel cooked up with legendary television producer norman lear that we just can't stop talking about. that's next on "world news now." it traps and removes the waste that weighs me down, so i feel lighter.

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you're in a group most likely to develop skin cancer, including melanoma. that's why your best shot is to check for a spot. follow through and check your skin. go to spotskincancer.org to find out how. around 700 kids entered the system today. just talking about foster care, can help foster care. i didn't know that. you like smooth jazz? ♪ i do not. yeah. donate your small talk. nobody does. ♪ boy the way glen miller played ♪ ♪ songs that made the hit ♪ boy the way glen miller played ♪ ♪ songs that made the hit parade ♪ ♪ guys like us we had it made ♪ those were the days that was actually kenneth

and i singing right there. the good old days were brought back to life last night right here on abc. >> fans of two groundbreaking sitcoms, "all in the family" and "the jeffersons," were treated to a television first, a live re-enactment of two actual episodes from 46 years ago. will ganss is joining us. will, we weren't alive, none of us, 46 years ago but we still know these iconic shows. >> that's exactly right or at least you do now. last night's tv special was called "live in front of a studio audience." whether you're a fan of the original series or you're seeing these shows for the first time with this all-star cast, it was 90 minutes of truly incredible live television. >> no, diane, we are the jeffersons. >> ha ha ha! >> reporter: it's no joke. they are the jeffersons. jamie foxx and wanda sykes stepping into the iconic roles first created by sherman hemsley and isabel sanford. >> look for our stores in chicago, san francisco, and los angeles. you don't have stores in any of those places.

>> so what? i didn't say i had a store there, i said look for them. >> reporter: the legendary family back on tv as part of abc's "live in front of a studio audience." they're not the only tv family making a comeback. >> good-bye. >> say something. >> bye! >> reporter: america saying hello to the bunkers for the first time in 40 years. ♪ songs that made the hit parade ♪ ♪ guys like us we had it made ♪ those were the days >> reporter: woody harrelson and marisa tomei playing archie and edith. norman lear teaming up with jimmy kimmel to bring two of his shows back to primetime live. like any live show this one had its live moments. >> but you know, we's a broke -- are we a -- are we -- are we -- it's live. everyone sitting at home just think their tv just messed up.

>> reporter: lear, 96-year-old writer and producer, along with kimmel, using the original scripts with an all-new all-star lineup. kerry washington and will ferrell as helen and tom willis. ♪ the sun in the morning and the moon at night whee ♪ >> reporter: an "all in the family" restaging. archie's feminist daughter and her liberal boyfriend. but why resurrect two of tv's all-time most popular sitcoms now? nearly a half century later? >> we hope tonight will make you laugh, provoke discussion, and encourage action. there is so much more work we must do in this country we love so much. >> reporter: just like they did when they first aired, lear's tv shows using humor to tackle some tougher issues. >> well, how about a woman president? [ cheers and applause ] >> oh, holy cow. >> i don't see no ghetto for women. >> what do you call a kitchen?

>> i call it a prison. >> reporter: no topic too taboo. >> you from the east side, she from the west side, and i don't want no crosstown traffic in my kitchen. >> george, the lord created everybody equal. except in your case he quit work before he got to your head. >> reporter: no language too explicit. >> tom, i'm worried. >> about what? >> well, just now in there, why 1 did that word honky ever cross my mind? >> why shouldn't it? don't you think crazy words like that cross my mind too? >> yeah, but even in our worst fights you never called me [ bleep ]. >> not that it hasn't crossed my mind. >> tom! >> reporter: this reboot of the classics seeming to strike a chord with modern audiences. jennifer hudson hitting all the right notes during the live show.

♪ we're moving on up moving on up to the east side moving on up ♪ >> reporter: tonight proving that some songs -- ♪ deluxe apartment in the sky we're moving on up moving on up ♪ >> reporter: some characters -- >> stop eating that! >> reporter: some tv shows, will always have a place on our tv screens. >> you got an apartment in this building? >> uh-huh. >> and you got one in this building too? >> yes, that's right. >> well, how come we overcame and nobody told me? >> reporter: and a place in our hearts. ♪ those were the days >> so many stellar performances in that live special last night. but 87-year-old marla gibbs reprising her role of florence, just amazing. back when the show was originally on she was nominated for an emmy five times for that role. >> wow. >> marla gibbs, she delivered that line the exact same way.

>> the crowd went wild. >> and one of the things that i like, i still have to watch it, but the live factor. seeing jamie foxx embracing that, so cool. >> it was incredible. great job. >> yes, so good.

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♪ ♪ don't you feel smarter already? >> yeah. suddenly i do. >> is time for "the mix." we're going to start with a study that says those who listen to instrumental music are smarter. >> that's what it claims. >> i mean, i thought that hip-hop and cardi b was making me -- >> way more intelligent. >> a genius. but apparently that's what this study found, that suggests that those who prefer instrumental music tend to be more intelligent. they prefer those genres such as jazz, classical, big band, and ambient electronica. >> i mean -- that makes sense, right? that's why we hear that kids in the womb, babies in the womb, should listen to classical music and stuff.

>> should read to them. >> that's fine, right. read to them? i think it's the whole no words thing. >> all right. >> sing to them. sing to them the words. >> right, sing 'em. two sisters are selling lemonade to help pay off their school's debt for lunch. >> wow. >> yeah, so there are two school districts -- two schools in the district, both owe a little over $3,000 to the federal government for cafeteria charges. the school district in total owes $41,000. so these two sisters, hallie and hannah, they're 13 and 11, have been selling lemonade to try to help put money towards that. they handed over a check of $460, and their parents say with the help of an online fundraiser, they've already paid off the debt of one of those schools. >> already paid off the debt. >> yeah, like 3000 bucks that those girls could have pocketed and done all kinds of fun things with, but instead they're giving back, incredible. >> the kids are stepping up to

save the day as usual. >> they always do. >> and they're smart. this is also smart. a smart toilet. you know, we spend some time on that, sitting down. >> a little bit. >> doing some business. >> a little bit. >> apparently this smart toilet can really help predict heart failure. engineers at the rochester institute of technology have invented a groundbreaking toilet seat that can monitor cardio activity and predict congestive heart failure. >> right through the seat there? >> yes. >> so your toilet is now keeping tabs on you? >> it is. >> not just your phone or your smart watch. it's your toilet now too. >> you know what, if you're sitting there, might as well kill a couple of birds. only takes about 90 seconds of skin contact for the seat to get a reading. >> clearly maximizing time. 90 seconds, that's all it takes. >> sit down, listen to classical music, feel really good about yourself. >> you'll feel smarter, definitely.

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>> this morning on "world news now," the this morning on "world news now," the prison release of the american taliban. john walker lindh was convicted of helping taliban soldiers in afghanistan after 9/11. see what led up to this day after being imprisoned for 17 years. also right now, tornados ripping across the central u.s. millions of people are being affected by severe weather outbreak bringing twisters and flash flooding. meteorologist paul williams has the latest track. and new this half hour, a consumer alert. >> check your fridge before you grill your next hot dog. what was found inside the beef franks that left a business on high alert. and he's the mutant with animal-keen senses, super-physical abilities, who has an incredible healing

factor, wolverine. the role's been played by hugh jackman but now there's a jackman but now there's a petition with 20,000 signatures demanding a new actor. and believe me it is not who you'd expect. details ahead in "the skinny" on this thursday, may 23rd. hey, guys, good morning. thank you for joining us. unbelievable that so many people want you to play wolverine. >> it's not me. but i would be a lot better than the person they want to play wolverine. >> to be fair, he may be right. >> we will give you a hint, it's always sunny in philadelphia. >> or another hint, how old is matilda? >> another one, penquin. >> all of that, all of that coming up. but we do begin on a serious note. today's scheduled release of the

man who became known as the american taliban. >> his name, john walker lindh, he's set to be freed from a federal prison. he was captured after the 9/11 attacks on a battlefield in afghanistan. >> he pleaded guilty to supporting the taliban and has been behind bars almost two decades. abc's whit johnson is at the prison in indiana. >> reporter: the so-called american taliban just hours away from walking out of an indiana prison after serving 17 of his 20-year sentence. a headline-grabbing case in the wake of 9/11 with stunning images showing john walker lindh gaunt and filthy captured from a prison basement in afghanistan in 2001. seen here in this video taken by afghan intelligence, refusing to answer questions from cia officer mike spann. >> hey, look at me. do you know the people you've been working with are terrorists? >> reporter: just an hour later, spann, killed by militants during a prison uprising. lindh had converted to islam as a california teenager, left for the middle east, met osama bin laden at an al qaeda training

camp. he pleaded guilty to giving armed support to the taliban but is now being released for good behavior, sparking outrage. mike spann's father urging president trump to intervene. >> don't turn him loose if there's reports out here that he's not being the model prisoner that y'all say he is. >> reporter: lindh condemned terrorism at his sentencing, but two government reports found he continued to advocate for global jihad and made pro-isis statements. and sources tell abc news he has even preached in prison quoting a prominent jihadi figure. as part of his restrictions, lindh can only communicate with people in english. with his limited and monitored internet access, he cannot associate with any known extremists and cannot leave the country without permission. he's expected to move to northern virginia outside of d.c. after his release. whit johnson, abc news, terre haute, indiana. >> our thanks to whit there. the morning's other big story, those deadly storms responsible for at least three deaths so far and still threatening millions of people.

>> the radar shows intense activity right through tornado alley and parts of oklahoma, kansas, missouri, illinois, and up through michigan. more than one month's worth of rain has fallen since the weekend, and more is on the way. >> storm chasers captured video of this twister east of oklahoma city last evening. and this one tore across southwest missouri along the border with kansas. they are two of at least 15 that touched down yesterday. >> and in southern california, rare lightning strikes forced lifeguards to evacuate 30 miles of beaches between malibu and long beach. accuweather meteorologist paul williams joins us now with what's ahead today. >> good morning janai, kenneth. we're watching out for another round of thunderstorms to erupt in the panhandle of texas and oklahoma going into portions of the midwest. very warm, humid air will also add a little more energy to these very volatile storms. look for a set of severe thunderstorms thursday afternoon

to thursday evening causing problems along i-80, i-70, i-40, near oklahoma city, wichita, up towards omaha. flash flooding, isolated tornados, and damaging hail. but then we're going to see scattered showers and storms make its way across nebraska where we have flooding problems and concerns there. and for the northeast a round of isolated tornados and hail from syracuse to philadelphia. janai, kenneth? >> this weather is not letting up. our thanks to paul. as many as 10,000 additional u.s. troops may soon be heading to the middle east to address any possible threat from iran. >> officials tell abc news u.s. central command is requesting the deployment as a deterrent. the plan is expected to be presented today at a white house meeting. it comes amid rising tensions following warnings of a potential attack on american forces. the u.s. has already sent an aircraft carrier and b2 bombers to the region. for the second time this week, a federal judge has delivered a legal blow to president trump, moving congress a step closer to obtaining his financial records. >> this time it was a judge in manhattan who ruled that deutsche bank and capital one

must comply with a subpoena to turn over ten years of financial documents. meanwhile the president is now refusing to work with democrats until they stop investigating him after he abruptly ended a white house meeting. house speaker nancy pelosi said he had a temper tantrum as serena marshall explains. >> reporter: it was a meeting between democratic leaders and the president on infrastructure, but it lasted only three minutes before he stormed out heading straight for the rose garden, declaring -- >> i don't do cover-ups. >> reporter: sources say the president arrived late, shook no hands, and told the democratic lawmakers he's in favor of working on infrastructure, trade, and the farm bill, as long as their investigations stop. >> get these phony investigations over with. you probably can't go down two tracks. >> reporter: that's not likely to happen. and democrats claim the president is lookingor an excuse to back out of a deal to fix the nation's crumbling infrastructure. he sent a letter to congressional leadership writing, before infrastructure, he believes congress should pass his new trade deal with canada and mexico. >> whether it was let's do trade

first, or whether today that there are investigations going on, hello, there were investigations going on three weeks ago when we met. >> reporter: the difference, though, wednesday's meeting followed this comment from the house speaker -- >> we believe that the president of the united states is engaged in a cover-up. >> reporter: -- which senior-level administration sources tell abc news sent him over the edge. by wednesday afternoon the house speaker going even further. >> this president is obstructing justice, and he's engaged in a cover-up. and that could be an impeachable offense. >> reporter: so far roughly two dozen of the more than 200-member democratic caucus have called for impeachment of the president. but the house speaker insists they will not go down that path until they have exhausted all of their other options. kenneth, janai? >> our thanks to serena. the source of a racist yearbook photo linked to virginia governor ralph northam remains a mystery. >> an investigation could not conclusively determine the

identities of either person in the photo that appeared on northam's page in his 1984 medical school yearbook. northam initially admitted he was in the picture without saying whether he was the one in blackface or the kkk costume. then he denied being in the photo at all. he managed to fend off demands for his resignation. attorney michael avenatti is denying new charges that he ripped off one of his most well-known former clients, stormy daniels. prosecutors claim he diverted about $300,000 that daniels was supposed to get from a book deal. they say avenatti used the money to pay for an extravagant lifestyle. avenatti's also facing allegations of legal misconduct in new york and los angeles, and he's also denying those charges. three more parents have entered guilty pleas in the college admissions cheating scandal. a millionaire couple and a businessman from california were all charged with paying thousands of dollars to improve their daughters' test scores. they are among 14 parents who have agreed to admit their roles

in the scam. 19 parents are fighting the charges against them. a food recall now under way could affect your holiday plans. chicago-based vienna beef is recalling 2,000 pounds of hot dogs over concerns they could be contaminated with metal. the company says the recall involves 10-pound packages of beef franks shipped only to restaurants in illinois, indiana, and wisconsin. you can find more details about this really important recall at wnnfans.com. >> how important is it, kenneth? >> it's got metal in it! >> metal in the meat? >> metal in the meat. >> i'll take my meat without the metal. >> i don't want meat metal. >> just before memorial day weekend too. >> no metal meat -- meat metal -- metal meat? >> meat metal. social media has decided the fate of a man wanted by authorities in connecticut. >> police in torrington are trying to bring jose sims on a number of failure to appear warrants so sims made a deal if a post about him on the

department's facebook page received 15,000 likes he'd turn himself in. facebook users did their job. the post has 19,000 likes and counting. sims has not kept up his part of the bargain, surprise-surprise. he is still on the loose this morning. >> he's wanted on failure to appear for warrants so you couldn't possibly have thought he was going to show up this time. >> he's like, why do you act surprised? >> right. 15,000 likes and i'll appear this time. not. >> give me 15,000 more. >> yeah, hey, right. officers wanted 10,000 likes, sims wanted 20,000, so 15,000 was the compromise. that's why he didn't show up, give that man 20,000 likes. we'll see. >> we'll take some likes too. coming up, the woman who's being called the miracle medical student. what she did to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. first, the new development in that pilot charged with murdering three people. later in "the skinny," how jamie foxx channeled sherman hemsley and stole the show. you're watching "world news now."

frantic mont frantic moments near atlanta as rescue crews and bystanders try to get a toddler out of a locked car. the 2-year-old was left inside with windows rolled up on a

90-degree day, the hottest day of the year so far. the little boy was covered with sweat when he was finally taken out and taken to the hospital. he is expected to be okay. his father is under arrest. it was a frightening ride for some schoolkids in new england. >> the engine in their bus started smoking, then caught fire. by that time the driver had pulled over and everyone on board safely escaped. no one was hurt. it's unclear exactly why the engine caught fire in the first place. there are new developments in the murder case involving an airline pilot charged with murdering three people in kentucky. >> christian martin entered a not guilty plea in court on wednesday in front of the sons of two of his victims. here's abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: this commercial airline pilot accused of murdering three of his former neighbors made his first appearance in a kentucky courtroom. the judge is ordering him held without bond. >> the commonwealth of kentucky versus christian richard martin -- >> reporter: 51-year-old christian martin was pulled off an airplane full of passengers and arrested on may 11th in louisville. he's accused of murdering calvin

phillips, his wife pamela, and another neighbor in 2015. police have long suspected that the pilot and former army ranger shot and killed mr. philips at the family's home because phillips was two weeks away from testifying against the pilot at a military court-martial where among other things martin was accused of physically abusing a child. without that testimony, martin was acquitted of the most serious charges that would have cost him his job. in court the son of the couple sat quietly. >> from the very beginning martin was the person that i believed was behind this. >> reporter: martin is pleading not guilty and has denied anything to do with the murders. the american airlines group says they ran regular background checks but tell us he was never convicted of any crime that would have kept him from flying. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. >> our thanks to steve there. when we come back, how jamie foxx nailed george jefferson. and you won't believe who 20,000 fans want to be cast as the next wolverine.

"the skinny" is next.

babies aren't fully developed until at least 39 weeks. a healthy baby is worth the wait.

♪ we're moving on ♪ we're moving on up to the east side ♪ ♪ to that deluxe apartment in the sky ♪ time now for "the skinny." that is jennifer hudson singing the theme to "the jeffersons." >> her performance is one of the many highlights of last night's amazing live reboot of two iconic sitcoms right here on abc. >> jimmy kimmel brought together legendary tv producer norman lear with some of the best talent in the business today as the star-studded cast recreated word for word episodes from "all in the family" and "the jeffersons" that aired back in 1973. >> incredible. >> from the sets to the costumes, casting, everything was spot on, including jamie foxx, look at this side by side, channeling sherman hemsley's george jefferson.

but not without at least one hysterical stumble. >> ever since i was a little boy i would always beg my mother for a little brother. but you know we was a bro so are -- are -- are we -- it's live. everyone sitting at home just think their tv just messed up. [ cheers and applause ] >> the moment i heard jamie foxx was portraying george jefferson there, i just said, it's going to be hilarious. something's going to happen. i was right. >> the live aspect. and then watching the other ones around him like trying to keep in character. >> keep it together.

>> yeah. >> woody harrelson, he had to turn around because he was laughing. this was iconic. to see them playing iconic characters and actors as well following behind that, and they're iconic themselves. it was definitely a tv event. >> and so many years later, the storylines still fitting so perfectly. which is incredible, but also kind of -- >> troubling. >> absolutely, absolutely. here we are and still -- >> it's why i often say when people talk about the progress, i also say, yes, 50 years ago really is not that long ago. >> no. >> people think that when they talk about post-racial world, a lot of those racial issues that were brought up in those scripts from 46 years ago and last night -- >> thinking about our parents and people -- >> they're still living. >> yes, and dealt with it. but this was amazing. so during "the jeffersons" reboot some familiar faces including jackee harry who costarred with marla gibbs on "227." gibbs, by the way, 87. she made a special appearance to reprise her role as the jeffersons' wise-cracking maid florence. and norman lear, who created the show, was there. he's now 96.

>> 96 years old. folks, i want you to remember that janai, she's a younger one. so 227, she doesn't know it's 2-2-7. >> ha ha! i did not know that. >> i wanted to call her out on that. >> he did, he did. >> 2-2-7. >> look, if that wasn't on "nick at nite" -- >> "227." >> thank you, grandpa. >> she'll learn something from the grandpa right here. next to a revolution in the world of wolverine. >> we all know before he morphed into the greatest showman, a very buff hugh jackman owned the famous x-men character. he first played wolverine in 2000 and continued for years, ultimately returning to the character for a final time in 2017. >> now nearly 20,000 fans have signed an online petition to cast the danny devito as the new wolverine. the petition states, quote, we believe if the wolverine is to make an appearance in the marvel cinematic universe, the only man

to pull it off is danny devito. >> no word from the 74-year-old comedian. >> marvel is a division of our parent company disney. , >> i think he'd be great at it. 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 sun care is self care. i used to not love wearing an spf just because i felt like it was so oily and greasy. but with olay regenerist whip spf 25, it's so lightweight. i love it. i'm busy philipps, and i'm fearless to face anything.

♪ makes me that much strong ♪ makes me that much stronger makes me work a little bit harder ♪ ♪ makes me that much wiser thanks for making me a fighter ♪ we're hearing from a young woman who has truly earned the title of fighter. >> she's been dubbed the miracle medical student, and on the miracle beat our own will ganss. >> the miracle heartbeat. it's medical time. i'm trying, i'm trying. all right, y'all. claudia martinez and her incredible journey from patient to m.d. is just what the doctor ordered this morning. >> i've had six major brain surgeries. it was just kind of a normal part of my life. >> reporter: claudia martinez

was a normal college student studying to be a doctor when she found herself in a medical predicament of her own. >> i started getting numbness and tingling in my legs. it got to a point where i would stand up and i would fall, i was starting to kind of black out, we knew something was wrong. >> reporter: the diagnosis, chiari malformation, a condition in which the brain is a little too big for the skull, causing it to press on the spinal cord. claudia rushed to a neurosurgeon who told her she was on the brink of becoming permanently paralyzed from the neck down. undergoing brain surgery just a week later. that was in 2011. flash forward six years and several surgeries. claudia still pursuing her life-long dream of becoming a doctor, suffering a stroke. >> i thought maybe it was a sign that i shouldn't go into medicine. i looked at the things that i could do and i said, i still have something to offer. >> reporter: claudia, despite all she'd been through, refusing to give up. >> i had to relearn how to do absolutely everything. my mom had to shower me, dress me. she was the one who would type

my essays. i would tell her what to type and she would type them for me. that's how i continued medical school when i couldn't actually do the things that i needed to do. >> reporter: now she's in her fourth year at ut health mcgovern medical school, just a year away from graduating with that degree she's fought so hard to earn, overcoming the unthinkable. >> i think my experience has been a blessing in disguise, and i wouldn't change it for anything. because i've been able to connect with patients on a whole different level. i know what it's like to have a feeding tube, i know what it's like to have a port. some things that maybe doctors miss, i get, because i was a patient. >> incredible. and as if med school and everything else isn't enough, claudia also organizes the concord chiari walk in houston every year which has raised around $55,000 for research for this disease. >> wow. >> that last part she said really struck me about she can put herself really where the patient is, in that bed, know what they're feeling. >> unbelievable. she says she wouldn't change a thing. it makes me emotional.

>> it really will help her in her job, being able to have that empathy for patients.

breaking news in america this morning, a trail of tornadoes tearing up the midwest. a deadly path of destruction. missouri's capital city hit hard overnight. plus, the mandatory evacuations as two out-of-control barges race down a flooded river towards a dam. now the storm threat moving into the northeast. walking free. the so-called american taliban john walker lindh lindh arrearrg released early from prison today. the outrage and where he plans to go. day care tragedy, a baby found dead after spending hours left inside a hot van. the arrest this morning and the new action to