happening now in america this morning, president trump's decision to withdraw troops from syria sparks backlash. even within his own party. critics claim he's betraying our allies. the syrian kurds who helped vulnerable to a planned invasion by turkey. this morning how the white house is explaining the decision and the new threat by the president to obliterate turkey's economy. high stakes at the supreme court today. the three cases in front of the justices this morning raising this question, can your boss fire you for being gay or transgender? a controversial hug. this morning the judge who embraced the former dallas police officer convicted of murder giving her a bible in court defends her actions responding for the first time to critics who call it inappropriate. plus, troubling trend.

the major company deciding to freeze pensions for thousands of workers. caught on camera, the fiery disaster on this hot air balloon. what a witness reported. and how a bride-to-be caught her fiance robbing a bank to pay for her wedding ring. good tuesday morning, everyone. thank you for joining us. i'm kenneth moton. >> and i'm elizabeth hur in for janai. we begin with president trump facing a growing backlash even from some republicans after his sudden decision to pull u.s. troops from northern syria. >> the president says he's making good on a campaign promise but some of his staunchest reporters saying he's betraying america's kurdish allies who helped fight isis for years. >> abc's ines de la cuetara joins us with the latest from washington. good morning, ines. >> reporter: good morning, kenneth and elizabeth. well, the president's decision

comes as his own military leaders advised him against it over fears it could destabilize the region. overnight new images of u.s. forces withdrawing from their positions in northern syria after president trump's sudden decision to pull out of the region arguing he's making good on a campaign promise. >> turkey, syria, let them take care of it. let them take care of it. we want to bring our troops back home. >> reporter: the white house green-lighting a turkish incursion that could wipe out u.s.-backed kurdish forces in the area. the kurds have been america's strongest ally in the fight against isis. turkey wants the land to send hundreds of thousands of syrian refugees back and views the kurds as terrorist insurgents. >> why are you siding with an authoritarian leader and not our kurdish allies? >> well, i'm not siding with anybody. we've been in syria for many years. you know, syria was supposed to be a short-term hit. it was supposed to be a short-term hit and we were

supposed to be in and out. we want to bring our troops back home. >> reporter: the move drawing strong criticism from even some of the president's biggest supporters. mitch mcconnell saying it would increase the risk that isis and other terrorist groups regroup. >> if we abandon them, good luck getting anybody to help america in the future with radical islam, al qaeda and isis. >> reporter: following the criticism, president trump insisted if turkey does anything that i in my great and unmatched wisdom consider to be off-limits i will totally destroy and obliterate the economy of turkey. now, it's unclear how extensive that expected turkish incursion will be but the pentagon fears a resurgence of isis if the kurds are wiped out as they currently hold thousands of isis prisoners. and as for the kurds, they say they feel abandoned. kenneth and elizabeth. >> all right, ines there in washington, thank you. house democrats moving forward with the impeachment investigation are expected to question the u.s. ambassador to the european union today. goonondland is a key fkrai snda.

he'll be asked about allegations that he worked on president trump's behalf to pressure ukraine to investigate joe biden. meanwhile, democrats are planning to take extraordinary steps to protect the identity of the original whistle-blower during testimony on capitol hill including masking the person's voice and appearance. and democrats have now issued a new round of subpoenas. they're demanding documents from the defense secretary and white house budget director about the president's decision to withhold military aid from ukraine. well, we turn now to the question being considered at the supreme court today. can you be fired for being gay or transgender? the cases being heard today are the first to address whether federal anti-discrimination laws protect lgbtq workers. this morning, gay and transgender rights are in the spotlight as the supreme court returns to session. in three potentially landmark cases the high court is expected to decide whether millions of lgbtq americans are protected under federal anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit employers from terminating workers because of

their sex. >> the day is finally here. >> reporter: it's the first time a transgender civil rights case comes before the court. aimee stephens says she was fired from her job as a funeral director in detroit after she revealed her plans to transition from male to female. >> it basically made me mad because here i put the time in, done my job and did it very well and now all of a sudden they don't need me anymore? >> reporter: the funeral home says stephens was fired for not complying with the dress code for men even though she was dressed professionally as a woman. the court will also hear the case of gerald bostock who was fired from his job with child welfare services in clayton county, georgia. the county fired bostock after was fired after joining a gay softball league. >> that's the moment my life started to change. within months of that decision

there were negative comments about my sexual orientation. they were disparaging comments about the fact i was participating in a gay softball game. >> reporter: the third involves a former skydiving instructor. donald zarda was fired in 2010 after telling a female client who was strapped to him for a jump not to worry about the close contact because he was, quote, 100% gay. the skydiving company insists he was not fired because of his sexual orientation, but because he shared inappropriate personal information with a client. zarda's sister is pursuing the case even after donald died in an accident in 2014. >> i think this would be his moment to try to make sure that not only would he be able to get justification and everything back that he deserved. >> well, justice clarence thomas will not be in court today because of an illness. a ruling on these cases is expected by the end of june. a standoff over diplomatic immunity is intensifying between

the u.s. and britain after a crash that killed a 19-year-old man. the wife of a u.s. diplomat is a suspect in that fatal crash. she allegedly hit the teen while she was driving on the wrong side of the road near a u.s. military base in england then fled the country claiming diplomatic immunity. british prime minister boris johnson was the first to publicly identify her. >> i hope that anne sacoolas will come back and will engage properly with the processes of laws that are carried out in this country. >> johnson says if the case isn't resolved, he'll ask president trump to intervene. the teenager's family is vowing to come to the u.s. to personal appeal to the u.s. president. cases like this are considered carefully but immunity is rarely waived. well, back in this country high winds and dry conditions may force utility companies in california to turn off the power for a large section of the state. the main utility in northern california says it could cut power to half the state as soon

as tomorrow morning. they're trying to prevent falling power lines from sparking wildfires. just last night more than a dozen homes had to be evacuated while crews battled this fire at a home near l.a. time now for a look at your weather for this tuesday morning. a winter storm warning is in effect for parts of the northwest and northern rockies. some areas could see up to 16 inches of snow. windchills could drop to 15 below zero. blowing snow will make travel difficult with reduced visibility. denver could see its first snow of the season late wednesday followed by record cold. looking at today's high temperatures around the country, 60s from boston to new york and washington, d.c. 80s in atlanta and miami. and a high of 97 today in phoenix. coming up, the best city in america to visit this fall according to a new survey.

but first a sign of the times. a major company announces a pension freeze. what it means for workers. and the prosecutor in the college admissions

we're back with a crane that toppled onto this group of homes in southern california. the crane was being used by power crews in long beach. one person had to be taken to the hospital but is expected to be okay. well, general electric is freezing pension plans for 20,000 employees as the company struggles to reduce debt amidst sagging profits. it is also offering pension buy-outs to 100,000 former workers allowing tm to taka lump sum payment. the freeze will take effect in

2021. ge workers in their 40s are expected to feel the biggest losses amounting to about $3,000 a month. it is one of many companies across the country that are now freezing or capping pensions. for the first time we're hearing from the top prosecutor in the college admissions cheating scandal. u.s. attorney andrew lelling has a warning for actress lori loughlin and her husband who pleaded not guilty. lelling told our boston station that his office will seek lengthy prison sentences if loughlin and her husband are convicted. meanwhile he is praising actress felicity huffman who pleaded guilty sentenced to two weeks in prison. >> if people take responsibility for their conduct and their conduct early on, then it will probably go better for them. what i value in the felicity huffman sentence is that i think it sent a clear message to other parents involved there is a good chance that if you're convicted of the offense you're going to

go to prison for some period. >> 20 parents facing charges are still maintaining their innocence. there is a new legal battle epidemic. school districts in missouri and kansas are suing the e-cigarette company juul claiming the company has addicted a new generation to nicotine and is draining school resources. the districts are seeking unspecified damages. meanwhile, kroger and walgreens have become the latest retailers to stop selling e-cigarettes. 21 deaths have now been linked to vaping and e-cigarettes. if you're planning a fall getaway, t t the best cities to visit. conde nast ranked chicago as the best big city followed by minneapolis, boston, new orleans and washington. cities were judged on their culture, attractions and restaurant scene, and when it comes to small cities, charleston in the great state of south carolina topped the list followed by santa fe. alexandria, virginia, savannah and key west. all great cities there. >> absolutely. well, coming up, the one-handed football catch you

have to see. but first the frightening moments as a hot air balloon catches fire at a world famous festival. and up next, the judge who gave a hug in court to the former dallas police officer convicted of murder is now defending her actions. i didn't have to call 911.help. and i didn't have to come get you. because you didn't have another heart attack. not today. you took our conversation about your chronic coronary artery disease to heart. even with a stent procedure, your condition can get worse over time, and keep you at risk of blood clots. so you added xarelto®, to help keep you protected. xarelto®, when taken with low-dose aspirin, is proven to further reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in people with chronic cad. that's because while aspirin can help, it may not be enough to manage your risk of blood clots. in a clinical trial, almost 96% of people taking xarelto® did not have a cardiovascular event. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor,

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wheyou want relief... fast. only thermacare ultra pain relieving cream has 4 active ingredients to fight pain 4 different ways. get powerful relief today, with thermacare. we're back with new details about a florida man sent to jail for ten days because he overslept and missed jury duty. the 21-year-old finally got some good news. >> a judge has now cleared his record and rescinded his probation sentence saying the man has sufficiently apologized and now use iew wiud ithe am trial >> judge tammy kemp was criticized for hugging the former dallas police officer after a jury sentenced guyger for murder. now kemp is speaking out explaining why she feels the hug was not only appropriate but important. rebecca lopez from our dallas

station wfaa reports. >> can i give her a hug please? >> reporter: it's the moment that for a few seconds seemed to bring the world together, an embrace. botham jean's brother brandt asked judge tammy kemp if he could hug amber guyger, his brother's killer. >> and i was wanting to say no but i couldn't and then when he said the second please, i just felt like i could not deny him this. i thought it would be cathartic for him. i hoped it would be helpful for miss guyger. >> reporter: then judge kemp stepped off the bench to console botham jean's family. >> and i told them that i was happy to have learned about their son because he seem individual. >> reporter: she said she looked around the courtroom and saw black and brown on one side and white on the other. so she turned to guyger, not wanting her to feel neglected. >> and i just simply said to

her, brandt jean has given him. please forgive yourself and she asked me did i think god would forgive her, and i said, yes, he will, and she said, well, i don't have a bible. i don't own a bible, and i don't know where to start. and that's when i said to her, i will get you a bible. >> reporter: so she went to her chambers, gave it to guyger and guyger asked her for a hug, not once, but twice. >> when i looked at her and saw how she was hurting, of course, i agreed to give her a hug. and so we did. >> reporter: judge kemp repeatedly wiped away tears as she recounted those moments. she says she's confused that some would criticize her for having this human moment. >> and i did feel led to give her a bible because i did not want her to go back over to then rebecca lo eed that was

>> our thanks to rebecca lopez. from wfaa there. the cdc is investigating the deaths of three infants from a bacterial infection at a pennsylvania hospital. five other babies have gotten sick at the hospital from the water borne bacterial infection, all were born prematurely at geisinger medical center in danville. the hospital is sending mothers at risk for premature births to other facilities while it investigates. now to the hot air balloon scare at one of the nation's largest festivals. a gondola basket caught fire and slammed to the ground injuring the pilot and a passenger. it happened at the albuquerque balloon fiesta. witnesses say the balloon hit power lines before catching fire. >> it came down over here, had dragged, at some point caught on fire. that propane came out over here, and that was on fire when i got here and the balloon continued up over this way towards the power lines and i guess it almost hit them but didn't quite. >> that wasn't the only incident at the fiesta. another balloon hit some power lines causing an outage and another balloon crashed into a tree on a golf course.

in sports the yankees have advanced to the next round of the playoffs after sweeping the twins. gleyber torres was the star night with a solo home run and two other hits. new york will play either houston or tampa bay next. meanwhile, the washington nationals have kept their hopes alive by beating the dodgers last night. both playoff series in the national league will be decided tomorrow night. it was a blow-out on monday night football. san francisco beat cleveland, 31-3. that means the 49ers remain undefeated along with the patriots. and here's a highlight from high school football. a one-handed catch by craig richardson of st. petersburg, florida. whoo. he is a receiver from northeast high school. making it look so easy, and i'm pretty sure it's not the last we've heard of that young man there. >> not at all. >> whoo. >> well, up next in "the pulse," the woman who caught her fiance

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start maximizing today! maxx life at t.j.maxx. ♪ time to check "the pulse" and we begin with sean spicer on "dancing with the stars." >> the former white house press secretary had earned at least one more week in the ballroom. he and his partner performed a paso doble last night earning 2d that means that was the lowest score among contestants who were not eliminated. >> but in the end lamar odom and his partner were sent home. odom called the competition just another hill to climb. next to a texas man arrested after his fiancee noticed him on surveillance video. >> his name, heath bumpous. he spent what should have been

his wedding day behind bars. police near houston say he robbed a bank so he could pay for his fiancee's ring and their reception. >> investigators caught bumpous thanks to his bride-to-be who saw something images of him and convinced him to surrender. and if you're wondering, no word on whether or not they are still getting married. >> no comment. there's a new way to celebrate happy hour. booze pods are now a thing. >> okay, we're talking about whiskey maker glenlivet. it's selling cocktails that come in capsules made from seaweed which means they are edible. >> yeah, they're being compared to jell-o shots and tide pods. just don't throw them into the laundry. finally imagine spending the night in a blimp. >> goodyear is listing its famous blimp on airbnb for the first time ever. it's offing three one-night stays for the

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making news right now at 4:27, get ready for more deliberate power outages. pg&e warning customers it may turn off the lights in part of the east bay, napa county and beyond. a supreme court showdown. justices are about to hear arguments in a case that could impact millions of lgbtq workers. renters are about to get new protections from rent hikes and evictions. good morning on this tuesday, october 8th. >> meteorologist mike nicco, we are talking with you all day. so many concerns about the power outages and weather concerns. >> the concerns are heightening as we speak. the weather watch has been upgraded as we were sleeping just about an hour ago to a red flag warning. that is for the north bay where you can see in red, also the east bay and the santa cruz

mountains. it begins at 5:00 tomorrow morning and goes through thursday. we have lake and mendocino counties under a weather watch. it goes through pretty much the same time frame and conditions north to northeast gusts 45 to 55 miles an hour with very low humidity so fires could easily start and quickly spread with the dry vegetation, the dry winds, and those gusty winds outside. let's take a look at what's going to happen as far as our wind advisory. it's going to be very gusty creating those conditions from 6:00 tomorrow morning until about 3:00 thursday. so if you're on an east/west bridge, it is going to be a nasty crosswind. heading out right now much cooler this morning, upper 40s to upper 50s, on our way to a cooler afternoon, 70s and 80s. more on that and the fire up next. if you're driving the next couple days, you could feel the

wind as you head across some of the bridges. i want to take you to novato shut down at atherton, road work going on. that should be cleared at 5:00 this morning. there was an earlier crash that has just been cleared on eastbound 580 through castro valley. no worries there. the first slowdown this morning always starts westbound 205 as you continue on to the altamont pass. the drive time from tracy to dublin is already yellow at 32 minutes. thanks, frances. get ready now. we've learned that unless the forecast changes, customers in at least three east bay cities and napa county will lose power starting early tomorrow morning. the shutdown could be much larger. pg&e has alerted customerstn i power. the proactive outage alert covers every bay area county except san francisco and marin counties. pg&e says it will shut off power

in parts of marin and orinda if the weather doesn't change. >> people's entire lives are about to be disrupted maybe for a day, maybe up to five days. think about what that means for businesses, schools, even something as usually reliable as plugging your phone in to get a charge. abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield live in orinda this morning. amy? >> reporter: hi, good morning. one thing people can do, reggie, fill up that gas tank. gas stations like this one here in orinda will be shut down without electricity, without a generator. these pumps won't be working. pg&e has alerted the cities of lafayette, orinda and moraga the power will be turned off as a preventative measure. the utility is worried old equipment could fall over during the wind that is expected and could start a fire. this could impact about 120,000 customers in contr