it t right now on "america this morning," breaking news in the battle over abortion rights. a major new decision from a federal judge. how the state of texas is already responding. a possible motive revealed for the high school school shooting in texas. teachers and students forced to barricade themselves in classrooms, plus the other terrifying shooting scene in utah. a man appearing to randomly open fire at cars and shooting at police. residents told to shelter in place. happening right now, the flash flood emergency in parts of the deep south. roads underwater. reports of rescues under way. the first video of the damaged pipeline blamed for that oil spill disaster off california and now word the

coast guard is investigating a massive cargo ship anchored near that pipeline. a wedding celebration that was anything but funny. party flares on the water triggering a costly search. now the partyers are paying up. plus, how william shatner is preparing to launch into space. the big news about bozo the clown's future and the prank phone calls blamed on a popular netflix show. today is thursday, october 7th. and good thursday to you, everyone. i'm faith abubey. mona is off. >> i'm andrew dymburt. and we begin with the breaking news overnight. a major development in the battle over abortion rights. >> a federal judge has ruled in favor of the biden administration striking down a texas law that has once again ignited passions around this law in the country is now on hold. >> this is a really major victory for the biden justice department.

>> reporter: a federal judge last night ruled in favor of the biden administration blocking enforcement of the new texas abortion law. in the 113-page ruling, judge robert pitman writing, quote, this court will not sanction one more offensive day of this depravation. the law in texas allowed private citizens to sue anyone for helping a woman access an abortion if she's further along than six weeks pregnant. >> rather than the state enforcing itself that's an extraordinary law and this is an extraordinary ruling. >> reporter: texas already appealing the ruling meaning the law could end up before the supreme court again. last month the high court allowed the law to take effect after the five conservative leaning justices refused to rule on its constitutionality. judge pitman in his ruling last night appeared to take a shot at those justices writing, quote, the american legal system cannot abide a situation where constitutional rights are only as good as the states allow.

>> what he writes here is just an utter rebuke of what texas did. >> reporter: similar abortion laws in georgia, kentucky and other states have been blocked by federal courts. the white house saying in a statement overnight, quote, the fight has only just begun. both in texas and in many states across the country where women's rights are currently under attack. in addition to the emergency injunction, pitman denied a request by texas to pause his ruling white the state appeals meaning the law is now on hold. also breaking overnight, a flash flood emergency in northern alabama. dozens of people have been rescued around birmingham after up to ten inches of rain fell in just a few hours. some schools are closed, and we'll have the full forecast in just a few moments. a terrifying scene in utah. a man being pursued by police started shooting at other cars near zion national park. police say he was wanted for showing a gun during an argument and say he shot several vehicles then crashed before opening fire on police

and running away into a neighborhood. >> be careful. let's get a rifle. let's look at taking him out. we have a whole full town walking the streets right now. we got to get him stopped. >> he was taken into custody with ang apparent gunshot wound. new details about the high school shooting in texas wednesday. a teenager who had reportedly been bullied and robbed opened fire forcing students and teachers to barricade themselves in a classroom. here's abc's megan tevrizian. >> reporter: this morning, the family of the suspect in wednesday's school shooting in arlington, texas, speaking out saying he was bullied. >> it wasn't just one person that would attack him and bully him taking his money, harassing him. >> reporter: 18-year-old timothy simpkins is accused of opening fire at timberview high school shortly after a fight in a classroom.

video posted on social media shows what appears to simpkinss fighting moments before the gunfire. >> pop, pop, pop. >> reporter: as shots rang out, barricading themselves inside classrooms. >> she text me, i was at work and said this is not a drill and i love you. >> reporter: four people were injured. all are expected to recover. simpkins surrendering after an hour's long manhunt. this morning he says he was trying to protect himself and asking for forgiveness. >> the decision that he made taking the gun, we're not justifying that. that was not right, but he was trying to protect himself. >> reporter: timberview high school does not have metal detectors. texas law does not require districts to use them. some experts have questioned their effectiveness. >> some of these larger high schools have way more than a hundred additional entryways and exitways around the school, and if those are not properly secured, then we're creating,

quite frankly, a real false sense of security with metal detectors. >> reporter: this morning, the assistant superintendent in arlington telling "the dallas morning news" the entire situation including the lack of metal detectors will be assessed and evaluated. simpkins faces three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. this is the fifth school shooting in the u.s. this week. andrew, faith. >> megan, thank you. we're getting our first look at the broken pipeline responsible for that massive oil spill off huntington beach, california. the 13-inch crack allowed up to 144,000 gallons of oil to flow into the pacific and now investigators are looking into whether a cargo ship played a role in the spill. it shows the "rotterdam express" made several unusual movements while it was anchored near the pipeline. they want to know if the anchor

dage pipeline. turning to the pandemic, one of the nation's biggest cities has just announced one of the nation's toughest vaccine mandates affecting anyone going into bars, restaurants or the gym. but there is some encouraging news in the fight against covid. here's abc's dan lieberman. >> reporter: with new covid cases down 40% in the last three weeks and 15% fewer deaths since mid-september, many are asking are we finally turning the corner. >> we're finally turning a corner on this specific surge. there's been some peaks and valleys and it's hard to tell if this is going to stay low forever but at least we're in good shape. >> reporter: still some cities taking no chances doubling down. new york city considering more vaccine mandates for city workers including police and firefighters with no more testing alternative. in los angeles, passing a new mandate requiring proof of vaccination or a negative covid test to enter indoor restaurants and other venues starting november 4th. the only exception, grocery stores and pharmacies.

>> been in the hospital for 76 days now. >> reporter: federal officials also trying to get the word out with a new psa campaign featuring covid survivors making the case for the vaccine. >> reporter: so i highly recommend everybody to get the vaccines and really protect themselves because this is no joke. >> reporter: in a new study out this morning led by the cdc, estimates that 140,000 kids across the country were orphaned because of covid. 65% of them were racial or ethnic minorities. >> we were quite disturbed by the racial and ethnic disparities that were apparent in our data. not only does it affect the child now in the short term, but it does really stay with them for the rest of their lives. >> reporter: today president biden planning to visit chicago quirenameric e job vaccine ancg that a plees news last vember 24th.lonionng

pixed. dan lieberman, abc news, new york. >> dan, thank you. negotiations resume today on a potential deal to raise the debt ceiling to avoid a government default for the first time in u.s. history. democrats are expected to accept an offer from senate minority leader mitch mcconnell to pass a short-term debt limit increase allowing the country to keep paying its bills until december. meanwhile, as president biden tries to pass his infrastructure plan, his approval rating has dropped to a new low. just 38% of americans say they approve of his job performance. well, let's take a look now at your thursday forecast. afterthat flood emergency in alabama overnight, more flooding is possible today from northern florida into tennessee and the carolinas.pecteds much of the midwest with the

above normal temperatures there. a storm system will be moving into the northwest in the coming days. the northern rockies could see up to a foot of snow. checking today's high temperatures, 70s from salt lake city to boston. 92 in both dallas and phoenix. 69 today in l.a. and 57 in seattle. coming up, a change for 25 cents. the women who will soon appear on the quarter. also ahead, why brian laundrie's father has now joined the search for his son aa florida nature preserve. the new details in the gabby petito case. and the strike at kellogg's. what it could mean for some of our favorite breakfast foods.

back now with an expensive wedding celebration. two men set off distress flares

from a boat in rhode island during their wedding party. but the coast guard thought it was a real emergency and started a search that ended up costing $100,000. the two men have now settled those charges and will pay $10,000 in fines. investigators in the gabby petito murder case have returned to a nature preserve in florida as they search for petito's fiance brian laundrie. laundrie's father has been asked to join the search. his attorney says that's because the preserve is otherwise closed to the public. meanwhile, gabby's parents are revealing new details about where their daughter's body was found in wyoming. they told dr. phil that near gabby's body there was evidence of a recent campfire and a clearing where a tent may have been set up. >> her body was found i guess it would be in front of a tent or if that's what was there or in front of the fire ring. there was definitely a fire ring there, and she would have been right -- >> and it wasn't far from the van. it was a five-minute walk, you

said or something like that?ahdrie that naturve 's says near theirom kellg' cerea pl w't aec stores. it's using salaried workers and third party resources to produce cereal. the company has been unable to reach a contract deal with plant workers who want better pay and benefits in the wake of the pandemic. our people here miss a lot of family functions, it causes a lot of family chaos with the hours. you have to have good spouses, good wives, good husbands, good partners to put up with the hours we work. >> a union official says kellogg's has threatened to send more workers away. an offer to boost wages and

benefits is fair and says the average worker at that company made $120,000 last year. the u.s. mint unveiled designs adding women to the quarter. the 2022 quarters will honor maya angelou, sally ride, nina otero-warren, anna may wong and wilma mankiller. the series will feature 15 other women in the next four years. all right, coming up, the drone of the future, and it doesn't just fly, it also walks. but first the new evidence in the college admissions bribery scandal. what a new audio recording what a new audio recording re people with moderate to severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness,

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we're back, now, with this dramatic dash cam video from virginia. an out-of-control car slamming into a police cruiser, barely missing the two officers, right the there. kudos to officer matthew stuart who pulled his partner to safety just in time. there's an audio recording and prosecutors say it proves how the wealthy get their kids into prestigious schools at any cost. newly released audio recordings show how the alleged mastermind of the college enroll scandal e with parents. >> to secure the spot for one of your girls. >> reporter: dozens of wealthy parents have pled guilty in the

scandal, including felicity huffman and lori the scandal's mastermind, who is cooperating with investigators, say men paid hundreds of thousands of to get their children in prestigious universities by falsely representing them as student athletes. >> the easiest way is student athlete. they get first priority. >> then, additional side door money? or do you do all three? >> reporter: prosecutors played phone recordings of singer listening to both men. one jokingly asked for a discount. >> is there a two for one special? >> reporter: singer warns aziz he may have to lie about his child being injured. >> in case they call, you would -- >> would they ask her, rick? >> they won't ask her.

>> no. not at all. >> reporter: attornys say there's no proof they participated in anything alegal. they thought they were making legitimate donations to the school. jury deliberations begin today. if convicted, both men face up to 20 years in prison. a powerful moment on the field, as women's soccer resumed. two teams paused the game to honor two former players, who accused a prominent coach of sexual misconduct. six minutes into the game, they gathered in a circle and locked arms in a show of solidarity. and the fans cheered them on. in baseball, a wild one. the dodgers won last night's wild card game, thanks to one swing from chris taylor. his walkoff home run beat the cardinals 3-1. the dodgers face the giants next. coming up, big news about bozo the clown. bozo the clown. ahead, william shatner's there's a different way to treat hiv.

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♪ time to check "the pulse." we begin with a new drone that can walk like a man and fly like a bird. >> but it doesn't actually hav wings. meet leonardo, a two-legged robot that can move seamlessly between walking and flying. it was built by engineers at cal tech. >> he may be used in the future for dangerous jobs, maybe even space exploration. speaking of space explo explorati exploration, william chatter will shatner is preparing to go into space. >> he was interviewed by and everyson cooper. but the interview went off of the rails. >> you look amaziamazing. i look ravaged by time and you look amazing.

>> i, too, have been ravaged by time. i want to press my nose against the plastic window. i don't want to see somebody else out there looking back at me. >> shatner is allowed to take a small bag with items his family wants in space. netflix is making changes to itsdz number one show. >> it's called "squid game." the problem is it includes a certain phone number and it's the real number of a man in south korea. he's getting up to 5,000 calls per day. next, the news about bozo the clown. david arquette is his new owner. >> the faactor was on bozo the clown for decades. a story to make you flip out. >> that's what bear cubs were doing. they couldn't get the hang of this hammock in tennessee. they kept trying.

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to building overseas. the 5.5 quake that is killing dozens of people. kumasi: in texas, how a fight led to a shooting and how bullying may be a factor. kumasi: and -- reggie: and masks being required in the bay area. kumasi: video of a stunning sunset. we are used to this kind of beauty. mike: we don't usually get to see it. kumasi: we have some good sunrises. reggie: some of us are up too late on a regular basis. mike: i was out there by myself on that one. reggie: good morning, it is thursday, october 7. you watching abc 7. kumasi: we are happy that mike is back. we will start with the fore-check of our forecast. mike: i was up late last