right now on "america this morning" -- breaking news. a u.s. citizen has been killed fighting the russians in ukraine. what we're learning about the 22-year-old. also this morning the growing concern that the war could spill over into another european country. the mysterious hepatitis outbreak among children. more states reporting cases. and now a death in the midwest. what doctors are saying and what parents need to look out for. the historic drought and water emergency in the west. why turning to the sun could be the solution. plus a new move by elon musk. what he just sold. the story of the birthday cake stolen by u.s. soldiers in world war ii. how they just made up for it.

and later, the new camera that could forever change the art of the selfie. >> announcer: from abc news in new york, this is "america this morning." good friday morning, everyone. i'm mona kosar abdi. >> i'm andrea fujii in for andrew. we begin with breaking news from the war in ukraine. a former u.s. marine has reportedly been killed in the fighting. the news comes just hours after russian missled rained down on the capital of kyiv. >> also this morning new worries that the war could spill into another european country. abc's justin finch is here now with the very latest beginning with that u.s. citizen reportedly killed. justin, good morning. >> mona, good morning. the u.s. state department says it's aware of these reports and it's closely watching that situation after a family says an american is now among the thousands who have been killed fighting in ukraine. the family of 22-year-old willie joseph cansel says he died fighting with ukrainian forces

while working with a private military contracting company. his wife saying in a statement he went there wanting to help people. he always felt that was his mission in life. i did not expect to be a widow at 23 years old or for our son to be without a father. it comes as more missiles hit kyiv yesterday as the leader of the united nations visited the capital. videos online show the moment missiles hit targets including a residential building. the number of casualties not immediately clear. ukrainian president zelenskyy says the strikes came immediately after his meeting with the u.n. secretary-general. he says the attack was meant to humiliate the u.n. and everything that the organization represents. the pentagon says russian troops are making slow, incremental progress, advancing in eastern ukraine. president biden now asking congress for another $33 billion in military, economic, and

humanitarian aid for ukraine. it would pay for artillery, armored vehicles, accelerated cyber capabilties, and advanced defense systems. if approved, the price tag is equivalent to the u.s. spending $213 million per day over the next five months. >> the cost of this fight is not cheap. but caving to aggression is going to be more costly if we allow it to happen. >> reporter: there are growing fears that moldova could be drawn into the war. earlier this week a series of explosions rocked a g the ukrainian border. u.s. secretary of state antony blinken saying "simply put, we're watching this like a hawk." and meanwhile, a senior u.s. department says russia is now planning to set up new forms of government in parts of eastern ukraine now under its control. mona? >> justin, our newest team member here at "america this morning," welcome and thank you for that report.

concerns are growing about a mysterious hepatitis outbreak among children. more than 20 cases have now been confirmed in six states including one death in wisconsin. nine cases have been reported in alabama where two of the children needed liver transplants. doctors call the cases unusual. >> we really don't see more than a handful of cases per year. maybe four to five in a 12-month period. in one center, of course. so knowing that there are different centers that are seeing more of these cases, it is definitely rare. it's not the norm. >> scientists say there's no evidence to suggest the cases are linked to covid vaccines. most of the children were unvaccinated. doctors say the signs to look out for include dehydration and yellowing of the skin. moderna says it hopes the fda can approve its covid vaccine for young children by june. the company says two doses of the vaccine generated a strong

antibody response in kids under 6, similar to the response seen in adults without any safety concerns. officials are now closely monitoring two new omicron subvariants, the ba.4 and the ba.5. they're currently driving up cases in south africa. there's early evidence that they could be better at evading vaccines. but more research is needed. there's no indication that they cause more severe illness. now to the water emergency. an extreme drought in the west. farmers are already planting fewer crops, driving up prices, and authorities are now turning to technology for solutions from using wastewater to harnessing the power of the sun. this morning dwindling water supplies across the american west have authorities racing to find solutions to a worsening crisis. one idea on the table, recycling wastewater for drinking. >> as long as people are flushing we continue to create more water. >> reporter: in california a water purification center is now preparing to supply the bay area with purified wastewater in the

next few years when the state is expected to regulate the use of recycled water for human consumption. >> we send it through microfiltration, which has a pore size 300 times smaller than the diameter of a human air. and that small pore can remove bacteria, appropriatozoa and large viruses and any other large particulates that are in that water. >> this past january and february were the driest two months beginning of a year on record in a state. beginning in june people in southern california will face unprecedented restrictions, only being allowed to water lawns once a week. >> why is it we always seem to be running behind? what i'm curious about is what steps are we doing for the future? >> reporter: california is also testing this idea. placing solar panels over the thousands of miles of irrigation canals in the state. thesheanels ll sw the water while also supplying energy. in nevada watter levels are alarmingly low.

at lake mead which supplies the las vegas area with 90% of its water the level getting so low this week the lake's original intake pipe was exposed for the first time ever, making the system unable to pump water. thankfully the city was already testing a lower level pumping system which is now operational. >> the trouble with predicting the future is nobody knows. we know based on all of the climate science that this could be more normal than we think. >> reporter: the areas of the west considered to be in extreme and exceptional drought recently expanded to include parts of colorado, arizona and new mexico. the committee investigating the january 6th attack at the u.s. capitol is planning to hold at least eight public hearings in june, some in prime time. the committee chairman says they plan to tell the story of what happened using witnesses and exhibits. the witness list has not been released. but the committee plans to reinvite house republican leader kevin mccarthy to cooperate after his conversations about the riot were leaked. lawmakers in oklahoma have

passed an abortion ban similar to the one in texas. the bill prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, and it allows any private citizen to sue anyone who provides an abortion or helps a woman get one. women in texas and other states with strict laws had been crossing into oklahoma to have abor abortions. >> none of these states are set up to accept thousands of patients from another state. we have access issued of our own in each of these states. >> the ban takes effect once the governor signs it. abortion providers already filed a legal challenge. the supreme court is expected to weigh in on the issue this june in a case involving mississippi's abortion law. breaking overnight, a new move by elon musk. he sold nearly $5 billion in tesla stock. it's an apparent attempt to raise money to buy twitter. the amount of shares sold represents only 3% of his tesla holdings. he says he does not plan on selling any more shares.

amazon is reporting a loss of nearly $4 billion in the first quarter. bad investments and higher costs were the main factors, including inflation, fuel prices, labor and shipping costs. time now for a look at your friday weather. despite it being very late april, it still looks like winter in parts of the country. this is in northern maine, which just got five inches of snow, and more is on the way today on the radar. storms in the plains could spawn tornadoes and drop large hail. heavy rain is expected in the midwest and heavy know snow in the northern rockies. checking today's high temperatures, 60s in the pacific northwest. mid 80s in texas and the southeast. and cooler than normal once again in the northeast. 62 new york. coming up, an emu on the run. the unusual police chase. also ahead, the remarkable show of support for a boy

allegedly bullied so badly that he's in the hospital. and a new twist in the ugly court battle between johnny depp and amber heard. the new claim that she asked for hush money. ♪ ♪ [ bird chirps ] springfest is back! [ sprinkler & birds chirping ] these are the mowers i was telling you about. and right now, you'l find everythig your lawn and home needs this season. [ food sizzling and happy family chatter ]

at great prices for the season. stop by lowe's now, for your happiest spring. children in ukraine urgently need our help. conflict is putting millions of children and their families in immediate danger. unicef is working around the clock to keep children safe, and we'll keep doing that as long as they need us. but we need your help to ramp up our effort. unicef is there for the children of ukraine, providing clean water, emergency supplies,

and a safe place to rest and play. learn more at unicefusa.org/ukrainehelp and help show families in ukraine they are not alone. back now with new video of an emu on the streets outside of new orleans. the 80-pound bird caught residents' eyes as it ran down the street behind a jogger. a group of deputies eventually cornered the animal and returned it to its owner. and in south carolina it was a runaway bull that was causing problems. even forcing a school into lockdown as a precaution. deputies finally cornered it and returned it back to the owner. nobody was hurt. this morning a show of support for a young boy severely burned during a horrible case of alleged bullying.

abc's derek dunna shows us how one community came together to cheer him up. >> reporter: this is 6-year-old dominik crankel, his face all bandaged up, waving outside his connecticut hr. first responders coming together to try to lift his spirits as he recovers from second and third degree burns suffered while playing with two other kids who had a gas can and a lighter. dominik telling his dad one of the boys lit a tennis ball on fire and threw it in his face. >> he says daddy, he poured gasoline on a ball and he threw it directly into my face and he caught my face on fire with a fireball. >> reporter: police are investigating claims by dominic's family that their son was being bullied. but lara jacobi, the mother of the other boys involved, told our new york station wabc that's not what happened. >> there was no bullying whatsoever. if your child's being bullied, would you leave your child out with somebody being bullied? that's the question.

>> reporter: nationwide, one in every five children ages 12 to 18 report being bullied. other stats show about 77% of kids admit being victims of one type of bullying or another. police are still trying to sort out what happened to dominic as his community rallies to help him heal. >> to say we're with you, we're with you 100%. i hope is a message that will continue to give him the strength that he needs as he goes through it from here forward. >> dominic and the other boys were left unattended in a back yard, and that's where police say he was burned. mona? andrea? >> derrick, thank you. new evidence is coming to light to n. actor johnny depp's defamation trial against his ex-wife. court papers reportedly show that amber heard sought a payout from depp in order to keep their troubled marriage private. that allegedly included the use of three los angeles penthouses, a luxury suv, and $125,000 for legal fees and other costs. depp is seeking $50 million from heard, claiming his career was

damaged by an essay she wrote suggesting she'd suffered domestic abuse. heard could take the stand next week. coming up, the magic number when it comes to how many hours of sleep that you need. the new research. also ahead, the top moments and big surprises at the nfl draft. ♪♪ here's to the very first influencer in your life... mom! ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ this is how mom shines. find the perfect mother's day gift... ...at zales. the diamond store.

with relapsing forms of ms, there's a lot to deal with. not just unpredictable relapses, all these other things, too. kesimpta is an at-home treatment that may help you put these rms challenges in their place. kesimpta was proven superior at reducing the rate of relapses versus aubagio. and, when it's ready, it takes less than one minute a month to inject kesimpta. don't take kesimpta if you have hepatitis b, and tell your doctor if you have had it, as it could come back. kesimpta can cause serious side effects, including infections. while no cases of pml were reported in rms clinical trials, it could happen. tell your doctor if you had or plan to have vaccines, or if you are or plan to become pregnant. kesimpta may cause a decrease in some types of antibodies.

the most common side effects are upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and injection reactions. ♪ ♪ ready for a once-monthly treatment with dramatic results? ask your doctor about kesimpta today. back with a bomb scare at irael's main airport. authorities say an american family showed security an unexploded shell they found while visiting the country. video shows people running for safety after spotting that bomb. the family was allowed to board their flight without the shell. north carolina congressman madison cawthorn says he made a mistake after he was stopped at airport security with a loaded gun for the second time. the latest incident was in charlotte. in the video posted online cawthorn said there's no compute for it but then said fly safe may, sure you don't have a gun in your bag. house democrats are now calling

on the tsa to crack down on the rising number of guns confiscated at airports. we turn now to the big night in las vegas. the first night of the nfl draft did not disappoint. and will ganss has all the top moments. >> reporter: nfl draft day. an event when old traditions come roaring, or booing back. special guests make new appearances. >> everybody, ice cube! >> reporter: and the next generation of football superstars are introduced to the world. >> he's like a combination of godzilla, the cookie monster and the incredible hulk, and this guy is unbelievable. when he's on the field he says i'm the captain now. >> reporter: and what an impression so many made on night one in las vegas. number one overall pick trayvon walker, a defensive end from university of georgia going to jacksonville. >> me and my father, i'm really thankful for him for being so hard on me as a young kid. i really do thank you for that. >> reporter: second overall aidan hutchinson headed home to michigan to play for the lions. and third, derrick stingily jr.,

whose whose grandfather played for the pats is on his way to houston. thibodeaux announced by sam prince a make-a-wish recipient from new jersey. >> sam is post heart transplant and feeling stronger than ever as you can see. >> with the fifth pick in the 2022 nfl draft the new york football giants select kayvon thibodeaux. >> reporter: thibodeaux strutting to the stage with a suit by dolce & gabbana decked out with red stones on the trim. ikwanu picked sixth sporting a suit inspired by the nigerian flag. and jermaine johnson repping the schools that got limb to the draft inside of his. an emotional night for so many players whose dreams have become reality at long last. >> you can see round 2 of the nfl draft tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern. simulcast on abc and espn. in just a little bit number one overall draft pick trayvon

walker joins "gma" for an exclusive interview. andrea? mona? >> so exciting, will, thank you. in the nba the mavericks, suns, and 76ers all won last night to advance in the playoffs. and a bizarre moment from cycling. a rider thinks he won a race in greece before his seat breaks, sending him crashing to the ground. turns out he was actually in second place. another rider had finished about two minutes earlier. poor guy. >> adding insult to actual injury. well, coming up, a new camera designed just for you. also ahead, surprising new information about what determines a dog's behavior and what doesn't. i'm a fancy exercise bike noobie. and i've gone from zero to obsessed in like... three days. instructor: come on milwaukee! i see you! after riding twelve miles to nowhere, i'm taking a detour. and if you don't have the right home insurance coverage, you could be working out a way to pay for this yourself.

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(vo) austedo can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, behaviors, feelings, or have suicidal thoughts. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness. don't take austedo if you have liver problems, are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, restlessness, movements mimicking parkinson's disease, fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, and sweating. (jackie) talk to your doctor about austedo...it's time to treat td. td is not ok. visit askforaustedo.com. ♪ time to check "the pulse." and we begin with a new study on who let the dogs out.

just kidding. on how dogs behave. >> researchers at the university of massachusetts surveyed 18,000 dog owners. they also studied the dna of 2100 dogs. and they found that a dog's breed has very little to do with how the dog behaves. for example, a certain golden retriever might actually retrieve a ball, but others might not. >> also, no genetic basis for aggressive behavior was linked to any certain breeds. one researcher summed up the findings saying every dog really is an individual. >> they're like humans. >> exactly. well, next, if you're watching us at this hour you may not be getting enough sleep. >> right here. british researchers say you should be sleeping for seven hours, no more, no less. that's if you're between the ages of the late 30s and late 70s -- or early 70s. a cambridge study found seven hours to be ideal, saying sleep is just as important as exercise. they also linked too much sleep or too little sleep to declining cognitive performance and mental health. next, a new camera that could change how we snap

selfies. it's being billed as the first ever flying camera. >> it's a selfie drone called pixie. it was create by snapchat's parent company. it sends the drone camera into one of four preset flight paths. it goes airborne above its user to shoot pictures and video. it can make eight flights per charge. i remember when the selfie stick was controversial. >> i was like it could be dangerous. finally, the u.s. military returning a birthday cake. >> u.s. troops surprised an italian woman yesterday by replacing her cake which american soldiers stole during world war ii. ♪ [ singing in foreign language ] >> the army says u.s. troops took the woman's 13th birthday cake from a window near venice in 1945. u.s. and italian troops saying happy birthday and gave a new cake yesterday. she turns 90 today.

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i started screening for colon cancer because of my late husband jay. i wish he could have seen our daughter ellie get married, on the best day of her life. but colon cancer took him from us, like it's taken so many others. that's why i've made it my mission to talk about getting screened and ask people to share their reasons why. i screen for my growing family. being with them means everything to me. i screen for my girls. they're always surprising me. i screen for my son. i'm his biggest fan. if you're 45 or older and at average risk, it's time to screen. today, there are more screening options than ever before, including cologuard. cologuard is noninvasive and finds 92% of colon cancers, even in early stages. it's not for those at high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. everyone has a reason to screen for colon cancer. if you're 45 or older, get started at missiontoscreen.com

announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding

solutions, this is abc7 news. >> new details about the plan to take a baby. >> grab your mask if you're heading for bart, we are hearing from commuters about the mask mandate. >> a need to conserve as the drought worsens, the technology that could change minds about recycling water. >> the magic number when it comes to the ideal amount of sleep and what happens if you get more or less. happy friday. it is april 29. >> we are happy to have you with us here on friday. a look at the forecast now. lisa: good morning. cool numbers. clouds are off the coast and we are on her way for a warm-up to begin today. it will take place this afternoon throh