no one was injured. it wasn't going too fast. the driver was arrested and is facing multiple charges, including dui. >> incredible. a family court judge is facing harsh criticism for refusing to try a 16-year-old boy accused of rape as an adult. >> in his decision the judge says the boy comes from a good family, has good grades, and is an eagle scout. abc's linsey davis has all the details. >> reporter: this new jersey judge under fire after declining the prosecutor's motion to try a 16-year-old accused of sexually assaulting another teen as an adult. the family court judge citing the young man was an eagle scout who comes from a good family who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well. >> this is absolutely an example of privilege playing out in the judicial system. >> reporter: the teen allegedly took video of the attack and shared it with friends, texting, when your first time having sex was rape. judge james troiano, seen here,

says he believes there's a distinction between a sexual assault and rape. he goes on to classify rape as generally two or more males involved, either at gunpoint or weapon. critics say it shows a deep bias in the judge's decision-making. >> i would be shocked to see this result in any case where the defendant was -- came from a family that didn't have financial means to send their son to a good high school and that they were college-bound. that doesn't happen in those cases. >> reporter: an appeals court has now reversed his decision, and that teen will be treated as an adult. in the meantime, there are now calls for that judge to be removed. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> a big thanks to linsey on that story. chicago officials are taking steps to curb gun violence this weekend. >> "operation independence," please arrested nearly 80 people on gun and drug charges. including notorious gang leaders, convicted murderers. this raid is the third in a series leading to about 180

arrests. a massive fire at a jim bean bourbon warehouse is creating environmental concerns in kentucky. >> flames destroyed the building in frankfurt. investigators think a lightning strike may have caused the fire. no one was hurt but officials are worried the bourbon runoff might kill fish if it gets into nearby waterways. i just heard a lot of moans and groans. >> i know jack's feeling it. >> that's a rough fire right there, folks. >> yes, it is. what's that saying? drink like a fish? take on this new meaning. >> not in this case, the fish will not benefit from that bourbon just flowing in there. >> hopefully everything is okay. >> need tim laird back here right now. >> get some lemonade. >> our chief entertaining officer is from kentucky. >> he is, he is, he is. all right, disney has found their star for "the little mermaid." halle bailey is now set to take

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♪ r-o-c-k in the usa millions of americans are set to rock out across the usa tonight under glittering canopies of fireworks displays. >> those who won't be enjoying the star-spangled spectacular are our four-legged friends. will ganss is joining us now. >> our two-legged friend. >> i am a two-legged friend with some very cool pants on, i might add. yeah, get this, you guys. more pets get scared and run away from home on the fourth of july than any day of the year. so here's how to make sure everyone has a paws-itively great day. it's independence day which means family and friends,

freedom, fireworks. but what about four-legged friends?urjuly would mean no fireworks at all. loud noises and bright lights will send your pet into a tail spin. luckily my friend is here to make sure everyone has a doggone great holiday. if there are going to be fireworks nearby what do you suggest a pet owner does to make sure that their four-legged friends are happy and healthy on the fourth of july? >> so the one thing you should do is kind of keep them in an isolated room that's kind of escape-proof. make sure the windows are closed, that you don't have a screen they could push through and jump out. you want to make sure the window is closed to help drown out noise and keep the curtains closed so they're not seeing flashes of lights. >> reporter: the doctor suggests leaving your pooch with their favorite toy and mellow music. >> put something like the radio on, the tv on low, be careful what you put on so you're not putting on a fireworks display on tv.

kind of like a low-key, easy listening-type station. >> reporter: if you're thinking the music may not be enough, the doctor says to ask a vet if there's a supplement that's suitable for your dog to help calm them down. before any of that there are a few things you can do as precautionary measures. >> every animal should have identification on them. they should have a collar with your phone number easily readable on there. that's going to be the easiest and fastest way for someone to get in contact with you. the second-best thing is to have a microchip. >> reporter: hopefully it never gets to that. make sure that your yard's in shape? >> absolutely. it's definitely a good time to make sure you check the perimeter of your fence, there is no loose boards or holes that potentially your animal can squeeze through and dig. and be sure you get that fixed before you let them out. that way they won't accidentally slip out. >> reporter: and before the fireworks ever begin, make sure your holiday picnic doesn't turn into a pup-nic too.

>> it's hard to say no to a dog that's looking at your face, they want to eat part of your hot dog. just say no to any table food. be sure you tell your friends and family who are over to do the same. because you don't want them to just go ahead and give them something without your knowledge of that. >> reporter: at the end of the night when the sparklers have sparkled and everyone's done being a bottle rocket rock star? >> not everyone's going to clean up after themselves when they light fireworks. the debris can be hazardous. so definitely keep your animal on its leash, keep an eye on where they're going into the bushes or things like that to make sure there's nothing there. >> reporter: if you're traveling and want to make sure your pet has a great holiday, it's actually pretty simple. your advice is? leave them at home? >> leave them at home. >> come home and tell them all about the beautiful fireworks display you saw. >> absolutely. >> they'll love you so much for just telling them about it. >> exactly. >> i love it, i love it. yeah, for more tips and tricks, our friends at north shore animal league america have all the answers at animalleague.org.

>> good takeaways there for anyone with pets. >> also good takeaways, those pants. >> those pants. did you look at the piece? he also has the shorts. >> i do. >> god bless america. >> god bless america indeed. you had your eye on one of the pups in that piece. >> i did, that pup was so cute, i'm on animalleague.org right now to find that puppy. >> they were so adorable. and also it just brings attention to the fact about shelter animals as well. how important it is to go into a shelter and seek out an animal there as well. >> this time of year, because so many pets run away on the fourth of july, shelters are super full. they need as much help as they can get. if you want to volunteer, if you want to adopt, there's lots of opportunities. >> so a lot going on this weekend. keep your pets safe. if you want a pet, a good time to start looking for one. >> thanks, will. >> thank you guys. coming up, how reigning champ joey chestnut is getting into shape for this year's nathan's hot dog-eating contest. and why it's getting a lot harder to order a burrito at

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all right, it's time for "the mix" on this fourth of july. you know, nathan's annual hot dog-eating contest. >> yep. where are our hot dogs? >> it's happening later today -- >> we typically would have a whole spread of hot dogs. >> you know darn well we're not eating no hot dogs. but we are seeing how 11-time champ joey chestnut is getting ready to take on all of these other contestants as they weigh in and get ready for the competition today. joey chestnut in a new documentary from espn called "the good, the bad, the hungry" shows us how he prepares, chewing on a ball, bobbing his head up and down, this is a lot to take in. >> we need rocky music.

>> a weight dangling from that to practice the chewing. he swallows air to stretch out his stomach, producing what sounded like extended burps to train to eat 70-plus hot dogs. last year he ate 74 hot dogs. that means the hot dogs, the bun, going to town on that mystery meat. so we've got a lot of hot dogs -- >> it tells you on the package what's in it now. >> yeah, and then the third ingredient is like mystery. >> so this happens on the fourth of july. >> so that means on the 5th of july, the story about the serial toilet clogger? joey chestnut, it's all you, bud. taco bell, apparently there's a tortilla shortage. i'll tell you about these tortillas. the company says it's experiencing a supplier shortage but is working diligently to replenish the supply. it won't say how many taco bells are impacted. trust me, you can order like 25 tacos, a burrito, mexican

pizzas, and they're tell like, it's $10.99. >> $10.99. another story in the mystery meat file. switching gears now. sunflower selfies out in california. people are rushing out to solano county to take pictures with these gorgeous sunflowers. but the farmers are not happy. so people are having photo shoots, engagement pictures with the crops, some having picnics, ignoring the "no trespassing" signs because you've got to do it for the gram. but the people can destroy the crops, disturbing the cross-pollination process which kills the plants, all bad, just stop it. maybe this new hampshire family should get a "no trespassing" sign for this black bear. showed up in its kitchen. wait, is that near the child's high seat there? there's the black bear. >> well, this seat's too small. let me try the next one. >> i guess we -- >> that's goldilocks. >> we probably don't have a good video of it because they were

probably holding it up and looking at the same time.

this morning on "world news now," the abrupt shift on the citizenship question. president trump is still hoping to include it on the 2020 census. will the justice department be able to carry out that request? the nation is getting ready to celebrate independence day with fireworks and parades. in d.c., military tanks and planes will be on full display with president trump promising a fourth like no other. it's bringing fireworks of a different kind. new this half hour, a millennial meltdown. >> facebook, instagram, and other platforms were down all day long worldwide. what led to the major social media meltdown. and get ready to go under the sea. >> under the sea! >> under the sea, under the sea!

disney has found its next live-action princess. everything you need to know about the young lady who just landed the role of ariel in "the little mermaid." it's thursday, the fourth of july. hey, thanks for joining us and lady liberty here on the fourth of july. happy fourth of july. >> are you lady liberty? >> yes, me. that's me. us and me, lady liberty. >> lady liberty has freed the curls. >> yes. yes, honey. >> and america as well. >> so many things that i want to talk about before we get to the news real quick. so under the sea, "the little mermaid," that's so exciting. also this social media meltdown. thank goodness we work overnight and i was asleep during the day because i had no idea. >> my pictures would not load and i thought, this is the end. this is the end. >> no one could see that you were working out? so it didn't even really happen, right? if no one saw you pumping the iron.

>> i'm a built man. >> a built man. all right, all right. we'll get to all of that in just a bit. we do begin this fourth of july with a stunning about-face from the trump administration, abruptly reviving plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. >> president trump tweeted that they were absolutely moving forward with the effort to include the question critics say would lead to undercounting immigrants. the tweet appeared to blindside his own officials a day after they confirmed forms were being printed without the question. >> the justice department now says there may be a legal path forward even though last week the supreme court rejected their argument as contrived. a federal judge is giving the administration until tomorrow to decide how to proceed. we're just a few hours away from the start of fourth of july celebrations around the country. parades, concerts, fireworks and so much more. >> the military vehicles are in place for this evening's salute to america in washington, the new event ordered by president trump. >> it's been 28 years since tanks were used in a washington celebration. they rolled through the streets of d.c. to commemorate the end

of the gulf war. abc's trevor ault explains this one. >> reporter: armored combat vehicles stationed on the national mall. behind them the lincoln memorial, where president trump will deliver his fourth of july salute to america which he says will be the show of a lifetime. >> we're going to have planes going overhead, the best fighter jets in the world and other planes too -- >> reporter: some of those planes coming in from across the country, while 30-ton bradley fighting vehicles were shipped in by rail from georgia. crews laying down heavy-duty tank mats to protect the streets. drawing the ire of anti-war group code pink. >> tanks but no tanks. we don't want tanks on the streets of d.c. >> reporter: the president's opponents fear he's turning what's historically a patriotic event into a partisan campaign rally. while the event is public, vip tickets have been given to top donors and the republican national committee. >> i don't think he understands this is america's birthday, not his birthday. >> reporter: there's also new questions about the event's cost. the national parks service is

reportedly diverting $2.5 million that was meant to improve parks to now cover the event. the trump administration still won't name the full price tag, but the president defended the event's extravagance tweeting, the cost will be very little compared to what it's worth. trevor ault, abc news, washington. >> our thanks to trevor there. as millions of people head to the beach today, scientists are warning about a shark they're keeping an eye on. >> miss may is an 800-pound great white off the coast of new jersey. the 10-foot fish may be headed to cape cod bay where a dozen have already been tagged. >> luckily the weather at least won't be too dangerous this fourth of july. accuweather's melissa constanzer has details. melissa, good morning. >> kenneth, janai, happy fourth of july. we are talking about a few thunderstorms out there but for the most part this is not a very active pattern as we go through the fourth of july. notice some thunderstorms here. they're scattered in nature. more of a typical summertime thunderstorm. for chicago, expect a few thunderstorms, especially

through the afternoon and evening hours. that could keep you inside for the barbecue for just a little bit. then as we go into fireworks time, there will be a few spots that will still have those thunderstorms lingering around. kenneth, janai? >> our thanks to melissa. in the race for 2020, former vice president joe biden took quite a few hits in the first democratic debate, but he's still leading the pack. in a new abc news/"washington post" poll, 29% of democratic-leaning voters prefer biden. senator bernie sanders isn't far behind at 23%. senators kamala harris and elizabeth warren are tied at 11%. when it comes to who stood out in the debate, harris shot up 41%, far ahead of warren, biden, and sanders. a jury sentenced decorated navy s.e.a.l. edward gallagher to a demotion and reduction in pay for taking a photo with the body of an isis fighter. gallagher is a free man after he was acquitted of murder charges. after the verdict gallagher apologized to the navy and marines but slammed the s.e.a.l.s who testified against him. >> this small group of s.e.a.l.s

that decided to concoct this story in no way, shape or form represent the community that i've loved. they tried to frame me as a criminal from the get-go. but, you know, we knew the truth the whole time. >> gallagher is set to retire in two weeks. even after all the allegations he said he would happily serve his country again without a second thought. connecticut police searching for a missing mother of five targeted a reservoir near the home of her estranged husband. police dogs and investigators searched the reservoir in west hartford. no word yet if anything was discovered. jennifer dulos has been missing since may 24th. fotis dulos has denied having anything to do with his wife's disappearance. a federal judge rejected drug kingpin joaquin el chapo guzman's bid for a new trial. defense attorneys allege that some jurors violated orders not to follow media coverage, but the judge ruled that the claims were vague and failed to prove misconduct or bias.

a new york jury convicted guzman of murder conspiracy and drug trafficking charges in february. a health alert. a maryland boy is battling flesh-eating bacteria after swimming in the chesapeake bay. his mother posted on facebook he developed ugly red patches on his skin a day after splashing in the water off ocean city. people became infected when -- people have become infected when they consume undercooked seafood or expose an open wound to the brackish seawater where the bacteria live. >> those images are hard to look at. but another thing to keep in mind as you head to the beach this holiday weekend. overseas one person is dead after a volcano erupted on an island off the southern coast of italy. >> at least two others were injured. the blast sent ash and debris thousands of feet into the air and could be seen for miles. the sudden eruption forced 30 tourists to jump into the sea for safety. back here at home, call it the great independence day eve internet meltdown. >> millennials were left

muttering after facebook, instagram, and whatsapp crashed yesterday, wiping out images on all three platforms. instead users saw messages such as, image may contain table, plant, flower, outdoor. >> i love lamp. >> which gave a glimpse at how facebook's a.i. automatically tags your photos behind the scenes. we tagged this as in millennials were upset. i'm pretty sure there were a lot of people besides millennials. >> i was going to say. when you're talking about facebook, you're talking about a whole other generation. >> including my mom, which she's not a millennial. and she's probably like, why can't i share this picture or this meme? >> call the kids! not your mom, not your mom. somebody's grandma yesterday was like, hey, help me, why can't i post this? >> my mom thinks you're picking on her now. >> i'm not, mama moton. this morning we're going under the sea. >> under the sea. >> we'll show you why the new "little mermaid" is making a splash. plus a 15-year-old american tennis phenom is cleaning up the court at wimbledon. imbledon.

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to leesa.com today. womp, womp, womp. womp, womp, womp. i mean, it's like -- we're at the world cup, what do you want us to do? this is the biggest stage, the biggest moment. we work hard, we like to play

hard, we like to have fun. >> that's u.s. women's national captain megan rapinoe defending co-captain alex morgan's sip of the tea celebration against england. morgan was the latest u.s. player called out for being too cocky. rapinoe joked, she'll have to come up with something better, and is expected to play against the netherlands in the final on sunday. >> isn't that criticism getting a little old? across the channel, another american athlete is making headlines for what she's been doing on the tennis court. >> after beating her idol, venus williams, 15-year-old tennis phenom coco gauff scored herself another victory. here's abc's ian pannell. >> reporter: coco gauff taking wimbledon by storm. the 15-year-old american tennis star soundly beating slovakia's magdalena rybarikova in straight sets. the pumped-up crowd here today giving her a rare standing ovation. gauff's captured the heart and

the imagination of many of the crowds here at wimbledon. she says she wants to go all the way to the final, and many here are hoping that happens. gauff stunned the tennis world monday, beating her rival and tennis legend venus williams. >> it's a dream debut for the 15-year-old. >> oh, i'm just still shocked that i'm even here. i wasn't expecting any of this. a lot of celebrities were dm'ing me, posting me. so like i'm kind of starstruck. so it's been hard to reset. >> reporter: even so, the youngest player ever to qualify for wimbledon is super confident. >> i think i can beat anyone who's across the court. if i don't think i can win the match, i won't even step on the court. >> reporter: this was a much tougher match than venus williams, but the youngster showed her brilliance, mixing up her game, and the crowd here lapped it up. hold on to your seats, we could be watching history in the making. ian pannell, abc news, outside wimbledon, london. >> you know who else lapped it up? i like that phrase from ian

there. her family. when they facetimed her after the big victories, all jumping around, they're happy, the family. >> imagine. it certainly seems like we're witnessing history. already incredible the other be. venus seemed pretty stunned by it. the rest of us are just watching, also stunned but cheering her on. turning now to the owner of the largest contract in major league baseball history, reached two plateaus with one swing. >> wow. >> and his 1000th hit. he's the first player to reach two milestones on one hit in mlb history. >> come on, free the hair, bryce, free the hair! a little boy from arkansas whose fears went viral is now showing the world his newfound confidence. >> it is so sweet. r.j. hampton was 3 when his father posted this video of him shaking on a diving board just two years ago.

now at the age of 5 -- look. >> you get 'em, r.j. >> yeah, yeah, r.j.! he's able to jump in with both feet without dad's help. his dad said he did it to build his son's confidence. >> i'm of the mindset that you let your children face their fear. and once they get to the other side of fear, there's an infinite amount of success or possibilities on the other side. >> oh, can i get an amen. the most recent jump happened after r.j. had been taking swimming lessons all day. he saw some older kids jumping off the diving board, wanted to try it himself, and his dad with a message there that can relate to anybody, child, adult. on the other side of fear, >> good job, r.j. when we come back, whom our parent company, disney, just cast as ariel in its live-action remake of "the little mermaid." and what celine dion wore that's causing "titanic" fans to lose their minds.

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♪ under the sea under the sea ♪ under the sea under the sea ♪ darling it's better down where it's wetter ♪ ♪ take from it me time now for "the skinny" involving the big news of the live-action remake of "the little mermaid" produced, of course, by our parent company disney. >> it's been trending all day on twitter. let get right to our trend setter, will ganss. >> i just want to stand here and dance and sing, yeah. for one young actress, you guys, excitement is bubbling over this morning. let's take a trip, where else, under the sea. ♪ part of your world >> reporter: get ready for halle bailey to be part of your world. the 19-year-old landing the lead role in disney's upcoming live-action remake of "the little mermaid." bailey tweeting this photo along with the caption, dream come true. the film's director, rob marshall, saying she's a perfect ariel. possessing that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, ndub, .

be because she's half of the singing duo chloe and halle alongside her sister. they performed at the grammys -- ♪ where is the love >> reporter: at the super bowl -- ♪ shining sea >> reporter: and opened for beyonce on her "lemonade" world tour. halle bailey joining "the little mermaid" with jacob tremblay and awkwafina. voicing flounder and scuttle respectively. "variety" reporting melissa mccarthy is in talks to play the evil sea witch ursula. ♪ poor unfortunate soul >> reporter: this version of "the little mermaid" will feature new songs with music by alan mankin and lyrics by lin-manuel miranda. along with your favorite songs from the original 1989 movie. ♪ under the sea >> production on the live-action "little mermaid" is slated to begin early next year. >> we can't wait for this. we have to mention there was online confusion earlier about halle bailey and halle berry.

>> berry and bailey, yes, right? >> i mean, they sound a lot alike. >> right. >> they do. >> but i think it would be a little odd to have halle berry play -- >> even halle berry tweeted out, in case you need a reminder, halle, get it done, and she congratulated bailey for being cast for "little mermaid." >> halle get it done. >> thanks, will, for getting it done. celine dion wore a necklace and almost broke the internet. >> as you can see here, it's not just any necklace, it is the heart of the ocean blue diamond necklace from "titanic," or more accurately a really good costume replica. >> dion stepped out wearing the necklace in this week's paris fashion week. in case you forgot, dion's "my heart will go on" from the 1997 blockbuster topped the billboard hot 100 for two consecutive weeks. but i thought -- i thought that it was dropped into the ocean? is brad pitt getting too old for hollywood?

>> the 55-year-old actor tells "gq australia" he may be past his prime in terms of leading man material, calling it, quote, a younger man's game. >> fair enough. pitt tells the magazine that there just aren't substantial parts for older characters, but that's apparently okay since he says he's increasingly behind the camera on the producing side, something he says he enjoys a lot. >> i'm glad that he came to terms with getting older. i remember an interview he did years ago, maybe before turning 40, when he said he was having a tough time with getting older. >> yeah? >> after being the leading man in so many movies, being the heartthrob. now looks like he's settled right into it just fine. >> yeah, we're not mad about that. >> not at all. >> we've still got some time, what do you want to chat about? >> we do? >> yeah. right? oh, not anymore. still ahead, new york bids a solemn farewell to one of its greatest heroes. >> his career was defined after the 9/11 terror attacks, and it changed him forever.

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♪ ♪ hundreds of police officers and firefighters here in new york city paid their final respects to one of their own. >> former nypd detective luis alvarez died at the age of 53 just weeks after his impassioned plea on capitol hill to renew the funding for the 9/11 victims compensation fund. >> alvarez spent three months searching for survivors and remains in the toxic rubble of ground zero, and it was there he contracted the cancer that killed him. it was here in new york where he was remembered. ♪ as the casket carrying the remains of 53-year-old detective luis alvarez was brought into the immaculate conception church in queens, new york, other emergency responders lined the street. so did the general public, in an effort to honor not only the man but the message.

and it's a pretty simple one. >> got to get back to respect, folks. without it, we're doomed. >> reporter: inside the church, alvarez was eulogized for his bravery and service as a marine, as well as his time as a police detective in the bomb squad. most notably, detective luis alvarez was remembered for his bravery during his final days in washington, imploring a house subcommittee to re-fund the 9/11 victims compensation fund. it's an undertaking that still requires a full vote and was astonishingly difficult until alvarez showed up. >> it was never easy. people resisting in other parts of the country, somehow thinking this is a giveaway to new york. >> reporter: alvarez entered hospice care days after his appearance on capitol hill, weaker than ever, but his core values stronger than ever. >> lou just wanted to do what's right. he desperately wanted others, particularly those in positions of great power, to follow suit.

>> reporter: alvarez spent three months working in the rubble at ground zero and his colorectal cancer diagnosis was linked to that work. his struggle is now part of a legacy that's more critical than ever. >> we have to remember that we are here to help one another. and that's the only way we're going to survive any crisis. >> i pray that the angels led you in, just as i know you will be there to lead me in. just as you promised. >> absolutely a hero. the bill alvarez was fighting for still has to pass a full house vote and the senate. meanwhile, new york city mayor bill de blasio says he will give alvarez a posthumous key to the city "as a symbol of our profound respect and gratitude for his service." incredible work he did. >> i was thinking about the image we saw of him, younger, years ago. almost appears to be unrecognizable. but what is recognizable at the end was how brave and how determined he was to save others determined he was to save others right to the end. i thought, "the red cross does katrina.

they don't help single moms. hi. hi. what happened to our house last year? it flooded. and the water flooded out. yeah. the red cross arranged the hotel for us. they gave me that break, that leverage, to be able to get it together and... take care of them, you know? i feel like we've come full circle. like that! this is how i'll do it. sarah: there you go.

> this morning on "world news now," the abrupt shift on the citizenship question. president trump is still hoping to include it on the 2020 census. will the justice department be able to carry out that request? the nation is getting ready to celebrate independence day with fireworks and parades. in d.c., military tanks and planes will be on full display with president trump promising a fourth like no other. it's bringing fireworks of a different kind. new this half hour, a millennial meltdown. >> facebook, instagram, and other platforms were down all day long worldwide. what led to the major social media meltdown. and get ready to go under the sea. >> under the sea! >> under the sea, under the sea! disney has found its next live-action princess. everything you need to know about the young lady who just landed the role of ariel in "the

little mermaid." it's thursday, the fourth of july. hey, thanks for joining us and lady liberty here on the fourth of july. happy fourth of july. >> are you lady liberty? >> yes, me. that's me. us and me, lady liberty. >> lady liberty has freed the curls. >> yes. yes, honey. >> and america as well. >> so many things that i want to talk about before we get to the news real quick. so under the sea, "the little mermaid," that's so exciting. also this social media meltdown. thank goodness we work overnight and i was asleep during the day because i had no idea. >> my pictures would not load and i thought, this is the end. this is the end. >> no one could see that you were working out? so it didn't even really happen, right? if no one saw you pumping the iron. >> i'm a built man. >> a built man. all right, all right. we'll get to all of that in just a bit.

we do begin this fourth of july with a stunning about-face from the trump administration, abruptly reviving plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. >> president trump tweeted that they were absolutely moving forward with the effort to include the question critics say would lead to undercounting immigrants. the tweet appeared to blindside his own officials a day after they confirmed forms were being printed without the question. >> the justice department now says there may be a legal path forward even though last week the supreme court rejected their argument as contrived. a federal judge is giving the administration until tomorrow to decide how to proceed. we're just a few hours away from the start of fourth of july celebrations around the country. parades, concerts, fireworks and so much more. >> the military vehicles are in place for this evening's salute to america in washington, the new event ordered by president trp. t's ben celebrio they rolled through the streets of d.c. to commemorate the end gulf war. abc's trevor ault explains this one.

>> reporter: armored combat vehicles stationed on the national mall. behind them the lincoln memorial, where president trump will deliver his fourth of july salute to america which he says will be the show of a lifetime. >> we're going to have planes going overhead, the best fighter jets in the world and other planes too -- >> reporter: some of those planes coming in from across the country, while 30-ton bradley fighting vehicles were shipped in by rail from georgia. crews laying down heavy-duty tank mats to protect the streets. drawing the ire of anti-war group code pink. >> tanks but no tanks. we don't want tanks on the streets of d.c. >> reporter: the president's opponents fear he's turning what's historically a patriotic event into a partisan campaign rally. while the event is public, vip tickets have been given to top donors and the republican national committee. >> i don't think he understands this is america's birthday, not his birthday. >> reporter: there's also new questions about the event's cost. the national parks service is reportedly diverting $2.5 million that was meant to improve parks to now cover the

event. the trump administration still won't name the full price tag, but the president defended the event's extravagance tweeting, the cost will be very little compared to what it's worth. trevor ault, abc news, washington. >> our thanks to trevor there. as millions of people head to the beach today, scientists are warning about a shark they're keeping an eye on. >> miss may is an 800-pound great white off the coast of new jersey. the 10-foot fish may be headed to cape cod bay where a dozen have already been tagged. >> luckily the weather at least won't be too dangerous this fourth of july. accuweather's melissa constanzer has details. melissa, good morning. >> kenneth, janai, happy fourth of july. we are talking about a few thunderstorms out there but for the most part this is not a very active pattern as we go through the fourth of july. notice some thunderstorms here. they're scattered in nature. more of a typical summertime thunderstorm. for chicago, expect a few thunderstorms, especially through the afternoon and evening hours. that could keep you inside for the barbecue for just a little bit. then as we go into fireworks time, there will be a few spots

that will still have those thunderstorms lingering around. kenneth, janai? >> our thanks to melissa. in the race for 2020, former vice president joe biden took quite a few hits in the first democratic debate, but he's still leading the pack. in a new abc news/"washington post" poll, 29% of democratic-leaning voters prefer biden. senator bernie sanders isn't far behind at 23%. senators kamala harris and elizabeth warren are tied at 11%. when it comes to who stood out in the debate, harris shot up 41%, far ahead of warren, biden, and sanders. a jury sentenced decorated navy s.e.a.l. edward gallagher to a demotion and reduction in pay for taking a photo with the body of an isis fighter. gallagher is a free man after he was acquitted of murder charges. after the verdict gallagher apologized to the navy and marines but slammed the s.e.a.l.s who testified against him. >> this small group of s.e.a.l.s that decided to concoct this story in no way, shape or form represent the community that

i've loved. they tried to frame me as a criminal from the get-go. but, you know, we knew the truth the whole time. >> gallagher is set to retire in two weeks. even after all the allegations he said he would happily serve his country again without a second thought. connecticut police searching for a missing mother of five targeted a reservoir near the home of her estranged husband. police dogs and investigators searched the reservoir in west hartford. no word yet if anything was discovered. jennifer dulos has been missing since may 24th. fotis dulos has denied having anything to do with his wife's disappearance. a federal judge rejected drug kingpin joaquin el chapo guzman's bid for a new trial. defense attorneys allege that some jurors violated orders not to follow media coverage, but the judge ruled that the claims were vague and failed to prove misconduct or bias. a new york jury convicted guzman of murder conspiracy and drug trafficking charges in february. a health alert.

a maryland boy is battling flesh-eating bacteria after swimming in the chesapeake bay. his mother posted on facebook he developed ugly red patches on his skin a day after splashing in the water off ocean city. people became infected when -- people have become infected when they consume undercooked seafood or expose an open wound to the brackish seawater where the bacteria live. >> those images are hard to look at. but another thing to keep in mind as you head to the beach this holiday weekend. overseas one person is dead after a volcano erupted on an island off the southern coast of italy. >> at least two others were injured. the blast sent ash and debris thousands of feet into the air and could be seen for miles. the sudden eruption forced 30 tourists to jump into the sea for safety. back here at home, call it the great independence day eve internet meltdown. >> millennials were left

muttering after facebook, instagram, and whatsapp crashed yesterday, wiping out images on all three platforms. instead users saw messages such as, image may contain table, plant, flower, outdoor. >> i love lamp. >> which gave a glimpse at how facebook's a.i. automatically tags your photos behind the scenes. we tagged this as in millennials were upset. i'm pretty sure there were a lot of people besides millennials. >> i was going to say. when you're talking about facebook, you're talking about a whole other generation. >> including my mom, which she's not a millennial. and she's probably like, why can't i share this picture or this meme? >> call the kids! not your mom, not your mom. somebody's grandma yesterday was like, hey, help me, why can't i post this? >> my mom thinks you're picking on her now. >> i'm not, mama moton. this morning we're going under the sea. >> under the sea. >> we'll show you why the new "little mermaid" is making a splash. plus a 15-year-old american tennis phenom is cleaning up the court at wimbledon. edon.

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the tea celebration against england. morgan was the latest u.s. player called out for being too cocky. rapinoe joked, she'll have to come up with something better, and is expected to play against the netherlands in the final on sunday. >> isn't that criticism getting a little old? across the channel, another american athlete is making headlines for what she's been doing on the tennis court. >> after beating her idol, venus williams, 15-year-old tennis phenom coco gauff scored herself another victory. here's abc's ian pannell. >> reporter: coco gauff taking wimbledon by storm. the 15-year-old american tennis star soundly beating slovakia's magdalena rybarikova in straight sets. the pumped-up crowd here today giving her a rare standing ovation. gauff's captured the heart and the imagination of many of the crowds here at wimbledon. she says she wants to go all the way to the final, and many here are hoping that happens.

gauff stunned the tennis world monday, beating her rival and tennis legend venus williams. >> it's a dream debut for the 15-year-old. >> oh, i'm just still shocked that i'm even here. i wasn't expecting any of this. a lot of celebrities were dm'ing me, posting me. so like i'm kind of starstruck. so it's been hard to reset. >> reporter: even so, the youngest player ever to qualify for wimbledon is super confident. >> i think i can beat anyone who's across the court. if i don't think i can win the match, i won't even step on the court. >> reporter: this was a much tougher match than venus williams, but the youngster showed her brilliance, mixing up her game, and the crowd here lapped it up. hold on to your seats, we could be watching history in the making. ian pannell, abc news, outside wimbledon, london. >> you know who else lapped it up? i like that phrase from ian there. her family. when they facetimed her after the big victories, all jumping around, they're happy, the

family. >> imagine. it certainly seems like we're witnessing history. already incredible the other day when she beat venus. venus seemed pretty stunned by it. the rest of us are just watching, also stunned but league baseball history, reached two plateaus with one swing. bryce harper's home run against atlanta last night was the 200th of his career. >> wow. >> and his 1000th hit. he's the first player to reach two milestones on one hit in mlb history. maybe he's worth all those dollars. >> those milestones with all that luscious hair. take off that helmet, bryce, show them the hair. >> come on, free the hair, bryce, free the hair! a little boy from arkansas whose fears went viral is now showing the world his newfound confidence. >> it is so sweet. r.j. hampton was 3 when his father posted this video of him shaking on a diving board just two years ago. now at the age of 5 --

look. >> you get 'em, r.j. >> yeah, yeah, r.j.! he's able to jump in with both feet without dad's help. his dad said he did it to build his son's confidence. >> i'm of the mindset that you let your children face their fear. and once they get to the other side of fear, there's an infinite amount of success or possibilities on the other side. >> oh, can i get an amen. the most recent jump happened after r.j. had been taking swimming lessons all day. he saw some older kids jumping off the diving board, wanted to try it himself, and his dad with a message there that can relate to anybody, child, adult. on the other side of fear, endless opportunity. >> they grow up so fast. >> they do, they do. >> they really do. >> good job, r.j. when we come back, whom our parent company, disney, just cast as ariel in its live-action remake of "the little mermaid." what celine dion wore that's causing "titanic" fans to lose their minds.

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the apartment building where the fire was. when things like this happen, i think you find a new perspective on life. hi. red cross put us in a hotel so we were able to stay together. we're strong and, if we overcame that or if we can overcome that, we can overcome anything, so. [ sniffle ]

♪ under the sea under the sea ♪ darling it's better down where it's wetter ♪ ♪ take from it me time now for "the skinny" involving the big news of the live-action remake of "the little mermaid" produced, of course, by our parent company disney. >> it's been trending all day on twitter. let's get right to our trend setter, will ganss. >> i just want to stand here and dance and sing, yeah. for one young actress, you guys, excitement is bubbling over this morning. let's take a trip, where else, under the sea. ♪ part of your world >> reporter: get ready for halle bailey to be part of your world. the 19-year-old landing the lead role in disney's upcoming live-action remake of "the little mermaid." bailey tweeting this photo along with the caption, dream come true. the film's director, rob marshall, saying she's a perfect ariel. possessing that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth,

innocence, and substance, plus a glorious singing voice. if she looks familiar, it could be because she's half of the singing duo chloe and halle alongside her sister. they performed at the grammys -- ♪ where is the love >> reporter: at the super bowl -- ♪ shining sea >> reporter: and opened for beyonce on her "lemonade" world tour. halle bailey joining "the little mermaid" with jacob tremblay and awkwafina. voicing flounder and scuttle respectively. "variety" reporting melissa mccarthy is in talks to play the evil sea witch ursula. ♪ poor unfortunate soul >> reporter: this version of "the little mermaid" will feature new songs with music by alan mankin and lyrics by lin-manuel miranda. along with your favorite songs from the original 1989 movie. ♪ under the sea >> production on the live-action "little mermaid" is slated to begin early next year. >> we can't wait for this. we have to mention there was online confusion earlier about halle bailey and halle berry.

>> berry and bailey, yes, right? >> i mean, they sound a lot alike. >> right. >> they do. >> but i think it would be a little odd to have halle berry play -- >> even halle berry tweeted out, in case you need a reminder, halle, get it done, and she congratulated bailey. for being cast for "little mermaid." >> halle get it done. >> thanks, will, for getting it done. celine dion wore a necklace and almost broke the internet. >> as you can see here, it's not just any necklace, it is the heart of the ocean blue diamond necklace from "titanic," or more accurately a really good costume replica. >> dion stepped out wearing the necklace in this week's paris fashion week. in case you forgot, dion's "my heart will go on" from the 1997 blockbuster topped the billboard hot 100 for two consecutive weeks. but i thought -- i thought that it was dropped into the ocean? is brad pitt getting too old for hollywood?

>> the 55-year-old actor tells "gq australia" he may be past his prime in terms of leading man material, calling, it, quote, a younger man's game. >> fair enough. pitt tells the magazine that there just aren't substantial parts for older characters, but that's apparently okay since he says he's increasingly behind the camera on the producing side, something he says he enjoys a lot. >> i'm glad that he came to terms with getting older. i remember an interview he did years ago, maybe before turning 40, when he said he was having a tough time with getting older. >> yeah? >> after being the leading man in so many movies, being the heartthrob. now looks like he's settled right into it just fine. >> yeah, we're not mad about that. >> not at all. >> we've still got some time, what do you want to chat about? >> we do? >> yeah. right? oh, not anymore. still ahead, new york bids a solemn farewell to one of its greatest heroes. >> his career was defined after the 9/11 terror attacks, and it changed him forever. after the break, the tribute for a man who spent the final days

of his life fighting for others. a man who spent the final days of his life fighting for others. the final day s of his life fighting for others.

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♪ ♪ hundreds of police officers and firefighters here in new york city paid their final respects to one of their own. >> former nypd detective luis alvarez died at the age of 53 just weeks after his impassioned plea on capitol hill to renew the funding for the 9/11 victims compensation fund. >> alvarez spent three months searching for survivors and remains in the toxic rubble of ground zero, and it was there he contracted the cancer that killed him. it was here in new york where he was remembered. ♪ as the casket carrying the remains of 53-year-old detective luis alvarez was brought into the immaculate conception church in queens, new york, other emergency responders lined the street. so did the general public, in an effort to honor not only the man but the message.

and it's a pretty simple one. >> got to get back to respect, folks. without it, we're doomed. >> reporter: inside the church, alvarez was eulogized for his bravery and service as a marine, as well as his time as a police detective in the bomb squad. most notably, detective luis alvarez was remembered for his bravery during his final days in washington, imploring a house subcommittee to re-fund the 9/11 victims compensation fund. it's an undertaking that still requires a full vote and was astonishingly difficult until alvarez showed up. >> it was never easy. people resisting in other parts of the country, somehow thinking this is a giveaway to new york. >> reporter: alvarez entered hospice care days after his appearance on capitol hill, weaker than ever, but his core values stronger than ever. >> lou just wanted to do what's right. he desperately wanted others, particularly those in positions of great power, to follow suit. >> reporter: alvarez spent three

months working in the rubble at ground zero and his colorectal cancer diagnosis was linked to that work. his struggle is now part of a legacy that's more critical than ever. >> we have to remember that we are here to help one another. and that's the only way we're going to survive any crisis. >> i pray that the angels led you in, just as i know you will be there to lead me in. just as you promised. >> absolutely a hero. the bill alvarez was fighting for still has to pass a full house vote and the senate. meanwhile, new york city mayor bill de blasio says he will give alvarez a posthumous key to the city "as a symbol of our profound respect and gratitude for his service." incredible work he did. >> i was thinking about the image we saw of him, younger, years ago. almost appears to be unrecognizable. but what is recognizable at the end was how brave and how determined he was to save others right to the end.

have a great fourth. making news in america this morning, the fireworks over president trump's salute to america. is the july 4th holiday celebration featuring tanks and other military hardware turning political? this morning both sides of the debate and how the president is defending the cost. plus, the concerns about the holiday weather nationwide. millions of americans are bracing for record heat while thunderstorms and rain threaten outdoor celebrations. breaking overnight, an appeals court issues a new ruling on the border wall and the mona -- money that cannot be used to build it. baby reunited. a t m wculous rescue