right now on "america this morning," a new push to expand the supreme court. the breaking news overnight, a new proposal from democrats to expand the court from 9 justices to 13. the new reaction this morning. overnight, more unrest in minnesota as the officer charged with shooting daunte wright is released on bail ahead of a court appearance today. what we're learning about the manslaughter charge the now former police officer is facing. search at sea. crews searching through the night for missing crew members after this ship capsizes in the gulf. how some of the missing tried to communicate with their families as the ship was sinking. breaking overnight, a top expert slams the cdc advisory committee that decided not to take action on the johnson &

johnson vaccine pause wednesday because they needed more time. this morning, the backlash. cashing in, the college internships getting a pay raise, up to $8,000 a month. later, the dog trying to hide during a storm gets stuck in a very precarious position. good thursday morning, everyone. we begin with the breaking news overnight. a new push to expand the size of the supreme court. >> a group of democrats in the house will introduce a bill today. it would add four more seats to the court expanding the number of justices from 9 to 13. the move comes with conservatives currently holding a 6-3 advantage on the court. >> one of the bill's sponsors, new york congressman mondaire jones tweeted, republicans packed the court when mitch mcconnell held merrick garland's seat open nearly a year before

an election then confirmed amy coney barrett days before the next election disarming the court's radical right wing majority would correct this injustice. >> republican senator tom cotton fired back saying, packing the supreme court would destroy the court. the democrats will do anything for power. >> president biden had said he is not a fan of court packing but he announced plans for a commission to study the issue. any bill expanding the court seems impossible to pass congress. the other big story, the unrest in minnesota, the former police officer who shot daunte wright will face a judge today. kim potter will be charged inside a courtroom one block away from where another former officer, derek chauvin, is on trial for the death of george floyd. >> oh. >> reporter: overnight violence erupting for a fourth consecutive night outside the police department in brooklyn center, minnesota, amid outrage over the death of daunte wright. >> say his name. [ crowd chanting "daunte wright" ] >> say his name. [ crowd chanting "daunte wright" ] >> reporter: the 20-year-old shot and killed in what the department called an accidental

discharge. demonstrators tried to climb the fence that now protects the police station and threw bottle flash bangs and rubber bullets. the unrest coming just hours after the former police officer who shot wright was released from jail. kim potter posted $100,000 bond late wednesday and later today she'll face a judge to be charged with second degree manslaughter. family members and community activists have called for her to be charged with murder. >> not over a mistake. over murder. >> reporter: wright's death sunday came after police tried to arrest him for an outstanding warrant stemming from misdemeanor charges. body camera video shows him trying to flee. according to police officials, officer potter thought she had grabbed her taser. >> taser, taser, taser. >> reporter: but instead pulled her gun firing the fatal shot. >> i just shot him. >> reporter: if convicted of second degree manslaughter, potter could face up to ten years in prison. >> the standard for second

degree manslaughter in the state of minnesota is culpable ngligence where you create an unreasonable risk and consciously take chances of inat if this case did go to a jury could believe it was a mistake and that it was an unreasonable one. that's going to be the sort of question that is going to have to be answered. >> two dozen people were arrested during last night's demonstrations. 3,000 national guard members have been activated to help with security. the defense is expected to rest its case today in the derek chauvin trial. yesterday forensic pathologist david fowler testified that his death was a result of heart disease, not chauvin's knee on his neck. dr. fowl ler added several other factors may have also played a role including drugs and even exhaust from the police patrol car. >> there is exposure to a vehicle exhaust, so potentially carbon monoxide poisoning. or at least an effect from increased carbon monoxide in his

bloodstream. >> when the prosecution challenged the carbon monoxide theory on cross-examination, fowler admitted he had no proof. >> you haven't seen any data or test results that showed mr. floyd had a single injury from carbon monoxide. is that true? >> that is correct because it was never sent -- >> i specifically asked you whether it was true, sir, yes or no. >> it is true. >> fowler is currently facing a lwsuit in connection with previous testimony. he is accused of helping to cover up the role of police in the 2018 death of a black teenager in maryland. the jury will not be told about the lawsuit. new coast guard video shows the rough conditions where a ship capsized in the gulf of mexico. efforts to find 12 missing crew members continued through the night. six others were safely rescued and one body was recovered from the water. some family members of those missing say their loved ones tried to contact them while the ship was sinking. >> getting a call around 4:30 something and then at 5:54, but

i couldn't like answer it like there was no one there, so i don't know if he was trying to tell me what was going on, but i didn't get to speak to him at that time. >> and both of their phones -- >> yeah, both of their phones -- >> -- go straight to voice mail. >> for sure are in the ocean somewhere. >> heartbreaking. since tuesday the coast guard has searched an area bigger than rhode island. turning to the pandemic, a top expert is speaking out criticizing the cdc advisory committee for saying it needs more time to decide whether to unpause the johnson & johnson vaccine. meanwhile, these 22 states are reporting a significant increase in covid-related deaths in the last week. abc's faith abubey is here with more on that. faith, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you, mona. the cdc panel is essentially saying safety is more important than rushing to a decision, but some argue that the delay during a pandemic could actually end up doing more harm than good. this morning, across the country, the johnson & johnson coronavirus vaccine remains

packed away. a temporary pause still in place. a cdc advisory panel deciding a vote to recommend lifting it would be premature. >> by having a little more robust information, i think we can be much more confident in how we talk about the safety of this vaccine. >> reporter: the board asking for more data about the six women who developed a rare blood clot disorder less than two weeks after receiving the shot. one of them, a 45-year-old woman from virginia, has died. officials say some of the women have pre-existing conditions but none known to cause blood clots. the experts are looking to see if there are any common factors linking the cases. >> it is a tough decision to make at this time because we really need as many vaccines as possible. we really don't know for sure that only young women are affected, and we need another week or so to find out if that is the case. >> reporter: in a newly released statement, johnson & johnson saying in part, we continue to

believe in the positive benefit risk profile of our vaccine. some doctors agreed. dr. ashish jha, dean of brown university school of public health, slamming the cdc decision on twitter saying, quote, we're in a pandemic. short pause to alert folks is reasonable. waiting when it's unlikely to change what we know is not. meantime, worries about vaccinations lagging while the virus rages in michigan. since last week covid deaths have spiked 39%. icus were seeing 25% more patients. and as for the johnson & johnson vaccine, the cdc advisory panel is hoping to make a decision within the next ten days. mona. >> faith, thank you. the biden administration is expected to announce new sanctions against russia today. the new financial penalties are retaliation for russian cyberattacks that breached several government agencies as well as the kremlin's interference in the u.s. election. similar punitive measures by the

u.s. in the past have failed to stop russian aggression. cia director william burns has delivered a sobering message to congress just as president biden announces plans to withdraw troops from afghanistan by september 11th. burns told lawmakers once the troops leave, our ability to collect intelligence in afghanistan and act on threats will diminish, but the president says it's time to end our longest war. >> we delivered justice to bin laden a decade ago, and we've stayed in afghanistan for a decade since. since then our reasons for remaining in afghanistan become increasingly unclear. >> defense secretary lloyd austin defended biden's decision saying, the u.s. will continue supporting the afghan security forces by paying their salaries and offering humanitarian aid. time now for a look at your thursday weather. more hail and heavy rain along the gulf coast today. this was the scene in southern louisiana where thunderstorms today could produce flash flooding.

someone got a little too close to this lightning strike in louisiana bayou country, and more lightning is on the way. elsewhere rain and snow, some snow today in parts of the northeast and another foot of snow is possible in the rockies. checking today's high temperatures, 42 in denver, mild in the pacific northwest. below normal readings for the midwest and new england, 74, albuquerque. coming up, the new debate over whether airlines should leave middle seats empty due to covid concerns. but first an army sergeant under arrest accused of assaulting a black man walking through this neighborhood. what we're learning about the confrontation and protests at the sergeant's home. and later why more couples are deciding to sleep in separate beds.

today marks two years since fire spread through notre dame cathedral in paris destroying the roof that dated back to the 13th century. french president macron is visiting notre dame today to check on the repairs being made. the goal is to have the church restored before paris hosts the olympics in 2024. a developing story from south carolina. the house of an army soldier was vandalized after being charged with assaulting a man walking through the neighborhood there. abc's andrea fujii has more on the confrontation. >> reporter: this morning a u.s. army soldier is under arrest after video showed him berating and shoving a black man in this south carolina neighborhood. >> what do you think you're doing here? >> walking. >> there's a difference between pushing you -- >> you're the aggressor, buddy. >> you're aggressing on the neighborhood. >> someone came running -- >> better walk away. you walk away. >> reporter: authorities now charging 42-year-old army sergeant jonathan pentland with assault and battery. >> you come after me like that.

>> i ain't coming after you. you're in the wrong neighborhood. [ bleep ]. get out. >> reporter: in the video, the man who was shoved says he lives in that neighborhood. >> we're not going to let people be bullies in our community, and if you are, then you're going to answer for it. >> reporter: the sheriff's department, which has not confirmed the victim's identity, says the man had approached several neighbors in a threatening manner prompting them to ask pentland to intervene. that's when the confrontation escalated. the video sparking angry protests outside the sergeant's house. his family forced to leave, their home vandalized. sergeant pentland is assigned to ft. jackson, south carolina. a base spokesperson said the leaders at ft. jackson in no way condone the behavior depicted in the video. this action deeply impacts our community. >> another unarmed black man could be dead today because he was walking in a neighborhood

that i'm told is adjacent to his. >> you're talking to my wife right now. >> doing absolutely nothing. >> reporter: pentland could face up to 30 days in jail if convicted. as for the victim in this case, the sheriff says the man's underlying medical condition may have contributed to the neighbors' initial concern, but the sheriff would not elaborate. kenneth, mona. >> andrea, thank you. the airline industry is hitting back at a new cdc study that suggests empty middle seats can reduce the risk of covid infections on planes by more than 50%. the airlines insist they beefed up safety protocols since that study was done including upgraded filters and airflow systems, and the cdc study did not account for passengers wearing masks. coming up, a dog trying to hide during a storm gets into a tight spot trapped beneath a truck. the rescue effort next. but first miracle on the mountain. a lost hiker and the photo he sent with his cell phone dying that saved his life.

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it doubles your skin's moisture and repairs dry skin over time. so tomorrow can be a different story. eucerin — recommended and used by dermatologists. ♪ back now with members of the british military rehearsing for prince philip's funeral on saturday. more than 700 military members will participate, and to celebrate philip's life, the royals released this photo, the queen and philip with seven of their great grandchildren in 2018. we turn now to the mountain miracle playing out on social media. a lost hiker used his dying cell phone to send one last picture and ended up saving his life. this morning, this is the image that helped bring a lost hiker home. the picture showing only two

sneakers and a rocky canyon. >> i just have, have, and it just echoes in the mountains. >> reporter: rene compean says he wasinhe angelese national forest when he got lost and waited to be rescued as bears and mountain lions wandered nearby. >> so i was like, i hope they don't come over here, so i got a stick and sharp rocks next to me where i was hiding just in case and to like get away. >> reporter: growing desperate, he snapped the picture and sent it to a friend with a message, sos, my phone is going to die. i'm lost two to three whiles away in the canyon east of buckhorn, i think. >> i was able to get two bars, and i took a picture and sent that, and then my phone died after that. >> reporter: police released the photo on social media, and another avid hiker actually recognized the location. >> i started going through the process of looking at the photo, figuring out where it was, and i said, oh, i think i know where this guy is and found some gps

locations, and i gave it to the search and rescue guys. >> reporter: after a brief search rescue spotted compean hoisting him to safety nearly 24 hours after he got lost. compean says one of his first calls was to work because he was a no show tuesday. >> then i told my supervisor what happened, and i guess one of them saw in the news and told me to take the day off to recover. we're so thankful you're okay. >> what are the chances? just an incredible story. compean had no food but he drank from a waterfall. >> wow. first responders in texas had their hands full with a german shepherd that tried to hide under a truck during a storm. the dog named booger got stuck inside the truck's under carriage there in lufkin. they gave him water and put a collar around his mouth so he wouldn't bite then slowly pulled him to safety. after he was finally freed, mona, booger took a nap. >> cute dog. in sports some drama in chicago, white sox pitcher carlos rodon throwing the season's second no-hitter. but he failed to pitch a perfect game because he hit a batter in the ninth inning.

and this fun moment from the game in l.a. a home run ball destroying a fan's nachos. he was covered in cheese but he got that ball. >> nacho your cheese. coming up, why more couples are sleeping in separate beds. also ahead, big bucks, college interns get a big raise. i've lost count of how many asthma attacks i've had. but my nunormal with nucala? fewer asthma attacks. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection-site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala. find your nunormal with nucala.

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the covid-19 vaccines are ready. and so is walgreens, with pharmacy experts ready to make it easy for you to get it safely, for free. because this is our shot... ...at getting back together. ♪ now that we're living, living separate lives ♪ time to check "the pulse," and we begin with a throwback to the 1950s. >> some of you may remember lucy and ricky sleeping in separate beds. it's a practice that seems to be catching on again. "the new york post" calls it a trend and says this couple goes even further sleeping in separate rooms, and if your house is big enough, how about separate beds in the same room? >> these couples say they're

still intimate but they sleep better apart. next some tech companies are now paying college interns more than $8,000 a month. >> facebook and linkedin are among those paying big bucks. >> even some nontech companies are offering up to $7,000 a month as they use internships as a pipeline for hiring. next a light-hearted morning tv moment featuring our friend gayle king. >> she was interviewing the u.s. surgeon general when something seemed a little off. check it out. >> dr. murthy, something keeps popping up on your screen. we want the viewers to know we see it too. we don't know what the hell it is. everything is safe. everything is good but there's something that looks like a dog or something popping up around you, but all is good. >> i'll show you what it is. it is my little boy. >> oh. >> love that. good morning, gayle. always the pro. finally mike rose's surprising interaction on a plane. >> rose best known for hosting the tv show "dirty jobs" was on a flight to nashville when a woman asked for help on a crossword puzzle. >> the clue was mike of tv's "dirty jobs." he pulled down his mask and revealed himself.

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officially open season for vaccines in california. everyone 16 and up now eligible. what you need to know if you are trying to get an appointment. the toddler trials and the vaccine eligibility expanding. when might our youngest get their turn. one bay area family giving their very first glimpse. >> and the pandemic restrictions easing in a matter of hours. it is thursday, april 15th. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. we will start with a look at the forecast with meteorologist mike nicco. >> hi there. let's talk about what is going on weatherwise. let's start off by showing you the winds are fairly light this morning, especially in fairfield, they are up with a stronger