that's what's making news in america this morning. breaking news in america this morning, is attorney general william barr about to resign? what he's saying about president trump's tweets just as longtime trump adviser roger stone prepares to learn his sentence. also new overnight, rod blagojevich walks free. >> i made a whole bunch of mistakes. >> the disgraced former governor serving time for corruption gets his sentence commuted by president trump. what he plans to do now. developing overnight, a car plunges off a ferry in florida. divers race into the water trying to save two women trapped inside. plus, the new battle royale. what queen elizabeth is now expected to tell harry and meghan. the new trend at department

stores. secondhand clothes. how customers are cashing in. and from the shocking sticker price for these fancy oreo cookies to the date night these off-duty cops will never forget to a special music milestone. ♪ take on me >> all the trending stories for your wednesday morning. ♪ take me on ♪ take on me . good wednesday morning, everyone. thank you for joining us. we begin with that breaking news overnight about attorney general william barr. >> yes, sources say barr discussed possibly resigning if president trump continues to tweet about the justice department's criminal investigations. >> all of this comes just one day before the president's longtime friend and adviser roger stone is due to be sentenced. abc's andrew dymburt is in washington with the new details. andrew, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning. this is really all about the

tweets. last week barr spoke exclusively to abc news and said the president's constant tweet something making his job impossible and now he may quit. a serious shake-up at the department of justice could be in the works. sources telling abc news attorney general william barr is considering stepping down over president trump's tweets. it comes just hours after trump openly denied barr's public pleas to stop tweeting about ongoing justice department cases. trump on tuesday tweeting about the judge overseeing the roger stone case. in an exclusive interview with abc news last week barr had said trump's tweets about friend and convicted confidant roger stone were disrupting his ability to manage the department. >> to have public statements and tweets made about the department, about people in the department make it impossible for me to do my job. >> reporter: but a doj spokesperson insists that the attorney general has no plans to

resign. >> are you making his job impossible? >> yeah, i do make his job harder. i do agree with that. i think that's true. he is a very straight shooter. we have a great attorney general. >> reporter: now barr did say the president never explicitly got involved in the case, something he and trump still maintain. >> i never spoke to him about the roger stone situation. >> reporter: the latest comments by the president come as a federal judge refused to delay sentencing for roger stone which is set for thursday. stone was convicted on charges of lying to congress and witness tampering which stem from the mueller probe. >> i think it was a very, very rough thing that happened to roger stone. >> reporter: and on capitol hill, republican leaders like senator mitch mcconnell issuing a joint statement saying they still support the attorney general. kenneth, kimberly. >> we'll see how it shakes out. dymburt dinl, thank you. turning to president trump's clemency spree pardoning and shortenings sentences of nearly a dozen people including former illinois governor rod

blagojevich. he was released after his prison sentence was commuted. as blagojevich headed home he said he was on a mission to fight what he called a corrupt criminal justice system. >> the things i talk about doing were legal and this was routine politics and the people that did it are the ones who broke the laws and the ones who frankly should meet and face some accountability. he's obviously got a big fan in me. asking what my party affiliation is i'm a trumpocra tet. >> high-profile pardons went to michael milken, former san francisco 49ers owner eddie debartolo who was convicted in a gambling scandal and forme new york police commissioner bernie kerik who served three years for tax fraud. the family of another party has donated $200,000 to trump's campaign. a developing story from south florida where a car has plunged off a ferry. the car went under between fisher island and miami. after locating the vehicle

authorities confirmed two women were inside and were unrespon unresponsive. efforts to recover the victims continued overnight. crews says it appears to have been an accident. we turn now to the high-stakes debate on the las vegas strip tonight. >> yeah, michael bloomberg will face his democratic rivals for the first time. it comes as questions are raised about whether one candidate is overstating the number of minorities supporting his campaign. this morning, michael bloomberg is hours away from his first debate as a presidential candidate. and his rivals are taking aim at the billionaire businessman. >> the working people of this country are tired of a corrupt political system in which billionaires think they can buy elections. >> reporter: bloomberg has spent an unprecedented $381 million on political ads so far. and now his campaign has announced if elected president bloomberg will immediately put his company into a blind trust and sell it. do you think he's buying the

race? >> he's trying to buy the race but leros the thing, it's not that simple. you have to actually be willing to look voters in the eye to take questions at some point. you have to be ready to be challenged. >> reporter: it comes three days about of the caucuses where many will face their first test with minority voters including pete buttigieg who is under new scrutiny this morning. >> nevada is going to make history. >> reporter: in several cases reviewed by abc news, the buttigieg campaign overstated its support among minority leaders with people identified as supporters later saying their int interactions have been misunderstood or misunderstood and campaign officials deny any attempts to overstate buttigieg's support. in the meantime, the trump campaign is taking out a full page newspaper ad in today's "las vegas review-journal" with the words "democrats will kill nevada jobs" in big red letters. at a cnn town hall buttigieg turned his attacks towards trump and rush limbaugh. the radio host said tuesday the

president told him to never apologize after limbaugh was criticized for saying america isn't ready to see a gay man kissing his husband on a dan abrams stage. >> one thing about my marriage is it's never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse with him or her. they want to debate family values, let's debate. i'm ready. >> reporter: meanwhile bloomberg is addressing criticism about his ties to big banks. his plan to crack down on wall street includes a new tax on financial transactions. he also wants to make it easier to prosecute bankers. turning to the weather a storm sweeping across the country is bringing more rain and flooding to the south. parts of alabama are under a state of emergency. some parts of the region could get up to three more inches of rain today. landslides could be a threat. a road above the tennessee river has given way, the same landslide has already destroyed several homes. let's take a closer look at your wednesday forecast.

good morning. it's another wet start to the day across the southeast as we have this boundary pushing through. good news, we get a little bit of a break as we head into the afternoon, some drier, cooler air working on in. however, more rain across the region for our thursday. we're tracking snow across the central plains across nebraska, into kansas, and we're talking three to six inches of snow in spots across colorado included. north of that where we have the arctic chill, high temperatures struggle to make it into the teens. i'm accuweather meteorologist adam del rosso. coming up, the rising cost of breakfast. the new $13 box of cereal. and also ahead, the department stores now getting into the secondhand clothing market and how customers are cashing in. an

help me. >> okay, can you breathe. >> help me. >> easy. >> help me. >> my friend. my friend. you see it there, frantic moments in switzerland. that's one of two women rescued after being buried by an avalanche. a snowboarder and her friends kept her calm. she pleaded for them to find her friend. the other woman was found about 200 feet away. china's death toll from the coronavirus has topped 2,000 people but chinese officials say the number of new cases appears to be slowing. a second virus-related death is being reported in hong kong today. meanwhile in japan the two-week quarantine period for the "diamond princess" cruise ship is finally over. passengers left the boat this morning but those heading to the u.s. will not be allowed into the country for another two weeks. and changes are coming for

people who own a ring home surveillance. a second layer of verification will be required to sign into your account. users will get a security code via email or text message that must be entered along with the user name and password. the change follows a series of recent incidents involving hackers taking over cameras including a man who claimed to be santa claus frightening a girl in her bedroom in mississippi. there's a growing trend at major department stores. more of them are now selling secondhand clothes. macy's, jcpenney and nordstrom are the latest stores where customers can make an appointment and show up with the clothes they want to sell. the store's trained buyers evaluate your old clothes and make you an offer. >> resale is tapping into the ethos of the consumer that, one, they want to save money and, two, they want to more economical with the money they are spending. >> new way for department stores to stay relevant

amid challenges from online retailers. later customers who resold their clothes explain how the process worked for them. you'll have to pay a healthy price if you want general mills new healthy cereal for breakfast. the health morning summit contains almonds, dried fruit and 15 grams of whole grain. it also costs $13 per box. general mills is hoping it will give a much needed boost to cereal sales. from expensive cereal to expensive cookies, coming up, sticker shock for oreo fans. over, the last the over the word "royal." will harry and meghan have to drop it from their brand? new details about the woman posing as a photographer to kidnap an infant. the baby's mother explains why knee somehow sleeps with a knife under her pillow.

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times." her friend and megasuperstar janet jackson praised her for breaking stereotypes and changing the landscape for black women in entertainment. dubois was 74 years old. we turn now to the alleged baby stealing plot in washington state. a woman accused of posing as a photographer has pleaded not guilty to a kidnapping scheme. >> we're now hearing from the baby's mother who says she was drugged with a cupcake and is so gripped by fear that she carries a machete and sleeps with a knife under her pillow. >> i'm terrified she's going to get back out. like this is my kids. >> reporter: elysia miller says since juliette parker's release she's lived with that fear. she sat in the front row as parker pleaded not guilty in what police say was a plot to kidnap an infant. she posted a facebook ad for

free newborn photo sessions. miller says parker came to her home, drugged her and tried to kidnap her baby. >> i'm not sleeping. i'm not eating. >> reporter: she says parker came to her home on three occasions for free photo shoots. on the third visit she says parker and her teenage daughter brought cupcakes and wine with them. >> she offered me a glass of wine, and they pressured me to try the cupcakes. >> reporter: miller says she immediately felt sick and called 911 kicking them out of her home. according to court documents they left but parker allegedly took selfies with the baby, wiped down the drinking glasses they used and stole the victim's house keys. >> we believe she was attempting to find a small female infant and was going to kidnap the baby and take the baby out of state and raise it as her own. >> reporter: investigators say at least a dozen women have now come forward with stories of interacting with parker who is charged with attempted kidnapping and assault. she had been out on bail but was considered a flight risk and was rearrested. miller says she's relieved to

see her locked up but is still paralyzed by her fear. >> my machete goes with every room that i'm in. my kids have to stay in the room i'm in so if she came back i'd be able to protect them. >> police are waiting for toxicology reports. parker's 16-year-old daughter is expected to face the same charges as her mother but in juvenile court. we'll have much more on the story later this morning on "good morning america." and jury deliberations resume today in harvey weinstein's sexual assault trial. shortly after getting the case, jurors asked the judge for legal definitions of the charges and a floor plan of weinstein's apartment. he's charged with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another. the defense argues weinstein's accusers maintained contact with him after the alleged assaults. we asked an accuser's attorney about that. >> the defense spent a great deal of time on the fact that there was communication as he mentioned between the victims -- >> there shouldn't because

somebody gets tickets to a screening long after a sexual assault doesn't mean they weren't sexually assaulted. >> weinstein says any contact with his accusers was consensual. if convicted, he could face life in prison. prince harry and kufrps -- duchess meghan may lose another title. a source tells abc news the queen may not allow the couple to use the sussex royal branding. it could affect some of their actives including charity efforts and their website. talks are under way in buckingham palace. but it appears the loss of the branding is likely. and we have an update about nascar driver ryan newman as he recovers from monday's horrific crash at the daytona 500. newman is alert and speaking though he remained in serious condition overnight. he and his family have expressed their thanks for all the support they received. nascar is investigating the crash. >> good news there. we heard that he was up, alert, awake and so hearing that news

definitely good news there. and up next in "the pulse," the '80s song hitting a major milestone that few other songs have hit. also ahead, surveillance video showing how one couple's date night turned into a night they'll never forget. plus, what cell phones are doing to our brains. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) once-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like james lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) ozempic® does not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, or death. there's no increased risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® should not be the first medicine for treating diabetes, or for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history

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the others are "sweet child o mine" and "november rain" by guns n' roses and queen's "bohemian rhapsody." you like any of those songs? >> i love them. every single one. all right, kenneth, we're moving on to a dynamic duo that stopped an armed robber during their date night. >> this is no ordinary couple in kentucky. chase and nicole mccowan are both police officers. they were eating dinner at a restaurant in louisville while off duty. surveillance video shows a masked man enter with a gun and demand cash from a restaurant worker. >> so chase and nicole are seen taking out their guns as the suspect drops his weapon and runs away. >> actually right after we got married that's where we ate dinner so that's our location and i saw her hands go up like this. is he doing what i think he's doing and he's like, yeah. >> there was literally no question. we looked at each. what's going on? let's go. >> when it comes to people's lives in danger, i feel like any other officer here would have done the exact same thing and get the bad guy. >> get the bad guy. >> unbelievable.

they caught the suspect after a brief chase. >> she says she grabbed her gun to back up her husband. >> oh, my goodness. >> maybe next date home is at home. >> maybe so. you got to back up your man, though, that's good. next what do smartphones and drugs have in common? >> a new study says both can make your brain shrivel up. german researchers say using your smartphone too much can make your brain's gray matter actually disappear. >> doctors say drug abuse has the same effect. they say the study is the first physical evidence that smartphone habits can alter your brain. so maybe i just should toss the smartphone. if i do, what will i do? >> how will you work? are addicted? >> of course, i am. my brain is small. >> we all are. and finally, oreo cookies are in the news but these are no regular oreos. >> they cost $8 for just three of them. but they're red. it's a marketing stunt from the clothing brand supreme. >> the cookies are supposed to hype the company's upcoming line

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talk to your doctor, and call 844-214-2424. . here's what's making news, a missing hiker is safe after a dramatic late-night rescue in the north bay. and coronavirus quarantine is over for 180 people held at travis air force base. they are heading home. and word that attorney general william barr talked about resigning over the roger stone case. president trump's long-time friend is due to be sentenced tomorrow. good morning on this -- what is it? >> it's wednesday, friend! >> what is the date? >> 19th? >> it's the 19th? >> that's why we have drew here. >> in the year of our lord, 2020? >> it is. my sister's birthday is tomorrow

and i was looking for gifts. >> i don't know what the date is ever. wednesday morning. a live look outside, we have fog to contend with. i know it's a dark picture, you can see the low lying cloud cover. here is the bay bridge. the low lying clouds over the bridge. patchy fog first thing in the morning. 7:00 a.m., sun is up. cold spot in the 30s, the sun is efficient at warming us up. a warm winter afternoon. by 4:00, temperatures in the 60s. that's weather. let's check the roads with jobina. >> good morning, drew. so happy to see you here. >> after yesterday? >> yes. love it. showing you emeryville, 80 much better shape than what we saw yesterday. san jose, 101, nice and clear. no major crashes to report. drive times here, tracy to

dublin, 32 minutes. antioch to concord, 13 minutes. san rafael to san francisco s 17-minute ride. >> thanks. a driver going the wrong way on the bay bridge is being blamed for a crash. this happened around midnight on the lower deck at treasure island. a car was going the wrong way on the ti off-ramp and another vehicle swerved to avoid it. it slammed into the center divide barrier. the other vehicle also stopped. search crews rescued a missing hiker from novato who went missing on monday while hiking in the mar kin county open space. >> 76-year-old roger bennett went on a hike but had not been seen since monday afternoon. abc7 news was in marin county shortly after rescue crews saved him last night. officials say two k-9 dogs located bennett off of a trail at 10:30 at night. a helicopter had to be called in to transport him because of the

steep terrain. it was determined to be safer to walk him out of the area. he was loaded on to a stretcher and taken to an ambulance. >> i think we owe it to the k-9 teams around here. without them and the assistance of the search and rescue members assigned to them and the expansive search, i don't know that we could have been able to find him without the k-9s. >> bennett was taken to the hospital. crews are looking for a palo alto couple missing in point reyes. the couple vanished friday. the marin county sheriff's office plans to search the waters off inverness, not far from the airbnb where the couple rented. investigators say they're looking into the couple's financial records to try to democrat their movements before they went missing. >> if we can get a transaction that took place sunday, then we know they were most likel