>> right now on america this morning, travel nightmare. >> we're trying to just get home to our baby. >> people sleeping in airports. some told it could be days before they reach their destination after the cancellation of thousands of flights. the debate over what's to blame from weather to staffing shortages and what to expect ahead of the 4th of july holiday. >> plus, the historic heat in the south. the new record just set and new wildfires erupting in the west, forcing evacuations

. >> in a developing story, the sudden death of a former nfl quarterback. once serving as tom brady's backup in his apparent drowning amid a spike in deaths along florida's coast. >> nascar champion jimmie johnson's family rocked by an alleged murder suicide. what we're learning the results are in on working from home. >> how remote workers compare to those in the office. when it comes to productivity. >> and later, a different take on a popular condom. soda infused ketchup. from in new york. >> this is america. this morning. >> good wednesday morning, everyone. i'm andrew dymburt. >> good morning. i'm morgan norwood in for rhiannon. let's get right to that travel nightmare unfolding just days before the busiest travel week of the summer. >> thousands of additional flights have been delayed or canceled and the ripple effects are spreading across the country. some people have been told it could be days before they finally reach their destination. the problems stem from bad weather on the east coast, but critics say a major shortage of air traffic control

, along with outdated technology , is compounding the problem. >> here's abc's lionel moise. >> it's not okay because people have planned these vacations for like a long time. >> thanks but it's been a long couple of days. >> this morning, the travel nightmare drags on as severe weather slams the nation. >> what is the manager at? ground stops imposed across the northeast, causing more than 2000 cancellations and 7000 delays yesterday alone. some frustrated passengers told they won't be able to reach their destinations until next week. >> i can't wait until july. the second. i mean, yeah, it's like seven days, six days from now. it's ridiculous. >> the ripple effect felt as far as denver. >> it looks like an apocalypse. it really does. everybody is just sprawled out on the floor. >> this as the tsa predicts record volumes this week ahead of july fourth, making it even harder to rebook.

>> we're trying to just get home to our baby. the faa blames storms in the northeast, but united airlines ceo scott kirby said the faa is at fault for the delays in newark, telling employees the faa reduced the arrival rates by 40% and the departure rates by 75% and saying weather is something that the faa has historically been able to manage. >> the faa fired back, saying we will always collaborate with anyone seriously willing to join us to solve a problem in a travel industry. trade group responded by calling air traffic control staffing levels unacceptable and pushing the faa and congress to speed up hiring, which can take years due to training and certification requirements. another challenge thousands of controller is retiring since last year, and now poor air quality from the wildfires in canada could make things even worse. people from wisconsin to chicago seeing the worst air quality in the world yesterday that smoke now moving

east. >> if you want to know the effects of climate change, you're going to feel it tomorrow in real time. >> meanwhile, in the south, the historic heatwave now entering a third week is driving up emergency room visits. >> it appears that the extreme heat wave is going to continue for the rest of the workweek. >> the texas power grid broken all time record yesterday for electricity demand, the oppressive heat, even breaking records at night with low temperatures still in the 80s. as for chaos at the airports, hundreds of flights are already canceled or delayed today. most of those on the east coast. the faa just last month also announced more corridors in the sky to ease flight congestion and provide more flexibility. the big question now, though, does more need to be done? andrew morgan well, i know with that question that so many are asking this morning, lionel, thank you. >> a fast moving wildfire has forced more than 1000 people to evacuate their homes. in scottsdale, arizona, the brush

fire spread by heavy wind has already burned more than 2500 acres. and at least two homes were badly damaged by a wildfire in riverside county, california. that is east of l.a. evacuation orders for nearly 100 homes lifted overnight. >> new details about the leader of the wagner mercenary group now exiled in belarus after his short lived mutiny in russia. a senior us official says yevgeny prigozhin believed that former russian military officers and others in moscow would support his revolt last weekend. and he was shocked when they did not. they say ghosn is now staying at a guest house, protected by his own security force. his mood is described as forlorn and uncertain. former president trump is offering a new explanation for that audio recording where he's heard talking about a potential plan to attack iran. some experts say the audiotape only adds to the former president's legal troubles. abc's justin finch is here now with the very latest. justin, good morning. >> good morning, andrew. trump now says the recording of him

talking with a staffer about a classified document from the pentagon was just his bravado. this morning, former president trump offering a new explanation for that audio recording, quote , in the indictment related to his handling of classified documents. trump telling abc's rachel scott, if you want to know the truth, it was bravado. i was talking and just holding up papers and talking about them . but i had no documents. >> as he continued to insist throughout the duration of our interview with him that he did nothing wrong. he maintains the fact that he wasn't actually showing classified documents. but you heard the recording for yourself. >> trump spoke to rachel after abc news aired the recording from a meeting at trump's new jersey golf club in 2021, in which trump described a document he says was compiled by former trump joint chiefs chairman general mark milley, outlining a potential attack on iran. >> i just found. isn't that amazing? just totally wins my case, you know? except it is

like highly confidential secret . >> trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges in relation to documents found at his mar a lago resort in florida . now, the new york times reports prosecutors have also subpoenaed surveillance video from trump's new jersey golf club as part of the investigation. in the meantime, house speaker kevin mccarthy on damage control after suggesting trump may not be the strongest republican candidate in the 2024 presidential race. >> can you win that election? yeah, he can't. do you think he can? the question is, is he the strongest to win the election? i don't know that answer. >> after that interview, a source says mccarthy called trump directly to further explain that comment. and there's also news from the special counsel's january 6th investigation. we've now learned that trump's former attorney, rudy giuliani, has been interviewed by federal investigators. andrew, justin, thank you. >> for more people have been arrested in connection with the

human smuggling operation that left 53 migrants dead in san antonio last year. the migrants were found in a tractor trailer with no air conditioning. the two other men arrested last year will go on trial in september and if convicted, they could face life in prison. >> now to the case of a suspected serial rapist who was released by a judge earlier this month. we're now learning about more alleged attacks on women dating back years. abc's andrea fujii reports. >> this morning, new charges against new york lawyer and serial rape suspect matthew nilo . he's been indicted in connection with five more sexual assaults in boston where he grew up. the assaults dating back to 2007 and 2008. >> several sexual offender offenders just don't stop assaulting because they get too much out of it. both physically, psychologically, etcetera. it becomes an obsession in the 35 year old. >> just weeks ago was charged with seven other counts of rape and kidnaping for alleged

attacks on four women during the same time period a decade and a half ago. >> how do you plead to those offenses? guilty or not guilty? not guilty. how did you got nothing to say for yourself. >> he was set free this month after his fiancée posted a half million dollar bond. one of nello's alleged victims outraged. >> i just thought that it was such a disappointment that they were just going to let him walk right out. these are such heinous crimes. before his arrest, authorities used genealogy websites to identify nilo later tracking him down at a corporate event and matching dna from a water glass to four of his alleged victims. >> experts say with these new charges, prosecutors may have a stronger case to keep him behind bars. >> going back and now having actual pictures of a suspect. they may well show other victims photographs, perhaps in a photo lineup to determine if they can actually pick him out. responding to the new charges, nieto's attorney says his client denies all the allegations. >> you can expect both a legal

and factual challenge to the government's case. nilo is due back in court next month. meanwhile, police in madison, wisconsin, where nila went to college, are now working with boston police to see if any other cases are connected to him . i'm andrew morgan and bria. >> thank you. more than $200 million was wasted. that's what a government watchdog says about covid 19. relief funds distribute aid during the pandemic. the small business administration's inspector general found that the misused money was lost to fraud and other abuses. now it amounts to 17% of the money that the agency gave out. >> time now for a look at your wednesday weather. >> good morning. and i have smoky skies and a great lakes for you. reduced air quality, lower visibility. but sunrises and sunsets are going to be colorful. i've got severe weather a little farther westward. we're looking at the potential for isolated tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts. minneapolis saint paul in the bull's eye of

that and that heat wave continues to expand. jackson and shreveport, bossier city. looking at accuweather realfeel son, 110 to 115 degrees. as for accuweather, i'm meteorologist michelle mcleod. >> coming up, the history of pizza. a new discovery from ancient rome. >> but first, we're following a developing story, the sudden death of a former nfl quarterback who served as tom brady's backup and the official data is in on people working from home and how much less productive they are

it's the feeling you get in your gut, the one that tells you what's right or what's wrong. it's the one that says, "sure, i could have a drink." or the feeling that says, "ok, i've been drinking, now what." it's the voice inside you that says, "i'm buzzed...better leave the car when it's time to go." plan ahead. catch a sober ride. buzzed driving is drunk driving. before they reach their destination after the cancellation of thousands of flights. the debate over what's to blame from whether to staffing shortages and what to expect ahead of the 4th of july holiday. >> plus, the historic heat in the south. the new record just set and new wildfire to show them the money is there unclaimed money that could be yours? watch gma this week. >> we're back with the house teetering on the edge, an overflowing river washed away much of the ground beneath this home in central chile. the region has seen historic rainfall at least two people

have died. >> we turn now to the sudden death of a former nfl quarterback at age 35, an apparent drowning. and it's the latest in a troubling increase in deaths along the florida coast. this morning, the sudden death of a former nfl quarterback drawing attention to a surge in rip current deaths along the gulf coast. authorities in destin, florida say a group of people on a sandbar yesterday struggled to get back to shore. one of them later identified as 35 year old ryan mallett. he was pulled from the water and died at the hospital. but he's up an open end. malik joined the new england patriots in 2011, spending three seasons as tom brady's backup before playing for the texans and ravens is caught. the patriots releasing a statement saying the team is deeply saddened by malik's death. former patriots star julian edelman tweeting, tough one to swallow. thoughts are with the family. the sheriff's office is now investigating mallet's apparent drowning. the

national weather service says in just the past two weeks, rip currents have claimed the lives of 11 people along florida's gulf coast. a lifeguard on panama city beach performed more than three dozen rescues on saturday alone. we're still tallying up the numbers going through all of our reports, making sure we get accurate, honest data that we can pump out to the city. rip currents flow at speeds up to five miles per hour. that's faster than most olympic swimmers. experts say if you're caught in one, do not swim directly back to shore against the current. instead, swim parallel to the shore. and of course, listen to the warnings from lifeguards. >> you want to get in that water and you get frustrated when you hear a lifeguard saying, no, don't get in the water. but what we're trying to prevent is that one empty car seat on that ride home. >> and ryan mallett was reportedly on vacation with his girlfriend. he was recently hired as a high school football coach in his native arkansas. new data out this morning shows the drop in productivity among people working from home.

>> government data shows one third of americans worked remotely last year and the data found those working full time from home worked an average of 2.5 hours less per day than workers who went into the office. >> i don't know about that study. i was pretty productive working from home. well, coming up, concert chaos. talking about more bad behavior among music fans, but first, nascar champion jimmie johnson family is rocked by an alleged murder suicide from prom dresses to workouts and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. just between us, you know what's better than mopping? anything!

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(customer 2) what? (customer 1) oh my gosh. (clerk) this is mostly secure. (customer 3) mostly? (customer 4) fairly secure? (clerk) yes, sir (customer 5) this is crazy. (clerk) you know what else is crazy? that sms text that he's sending? it's unencrypted. other people might see your text just like other people might see that letter. (customer 1) you're kidding. (clerk) no. now with a family tragedy for nascar champion jimmie johnson and the parents of johnson's wife and one of her nephews were found dead near tulsa in what police are calling an apparent murder suicide. >> police say they got that call from six from a 68 year old, terry janway that night. and then she hung up. they later found janway her husband jack, and their 11 year old grandson dead. >> as far as a motive, unfortunately, in a murder suicide that those questions a lot of times remain unanswered.

and we may not ever know the answers to those questions as to why the family previously dealt with a tragedy in 2014, when johnson's brother in law died in a skydiving accident. >> johnson has opted not to race this weekend in chicago. >> the music industry is seeing more bad behavior among fans this year. and this morning, a new example from a pink concert by sister wrong. it's a trend that's gotten weird. and dangerous. fans throwing objects on stage during live performances by major artists. the most recent, a fan throwing this bag full of her mother's cremated remains to pink as the singer performed in london. this is a wrong. >> i don't know how i feel about this. >> pink not missing a beat. quickly moving on. your pain isn't perfect, but lady gaga also not missing a note after a thrown stuffed animal hit her in

the head last year. but not every incident has been so painless. harry styles was hit in the eye with what appeared to be candy. harry shaking it off. but not everyone has been so lucky. earlier this month, singer bebe rexha was taken to the hospital after a man threw his phone at her rexha suffered a black eye requiring stitches. the man who threw the phone was arrested for assault and battery. the man telling police he thought it would be funny to hit her. i'm good. >> yeah. i'm feeling all right. >> many fans are just hoping for a viral moment like this one. when billie eilish grabbed a fan's thrown phone off the stage, taking it for a spin. as for pink, another fan gave her something she could genuinely be excited about. a wheel of cheese . the man who threw the phone at bebe rexha is due in court next month. >> well, coming up, what ryan seacrest is saying about taking over wheel of fortune. >> plus, the best place outside of new york, of course, for of new york, of course, for bagels. the new rankings are out

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pepto bismol coats and soothes >> could we be coming to your hometown. >> time to check the pulse. we begin with another dream job for ryan seacrest. >> so exciting. he is set to take the wheel as the next host of wheel of fortune. now, seacrest says he's humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary pat sajak. sajak only recently announced that he's stepping down next year after 41 years at the helm. >> and management acted quickly to fill the void. we're now at this point where it literally happened within a few weeks of pat announcing his own departure that ryan's coming on board. >> so i see this as they've been discussing this for a while. they've been waiting for the right time to announce both of these plans. >> seacrest said he can't wait to continue the tradition tradition alongside vanna white. her contract ends next year.

she's currently in negotiations. seacrest in yes. seacrest out. congratulate us. >> well, next, what could be the earliest sign of italy's love affair with pizza? >> the new evidence comes from ancient rome. an excavation in pompeii has revealed a2000 year old fresco showing what's described as an ancestor of pizza. experts say it's not the real thing. no tomatoes, mozzarella were available, but the shape was similar and it apparently had fruit on top with spices or maybe even a type of pesto. it's pizza to me. while we're talking about food, where's the best place outside of new york, of course, to get bagels. bon appetit magazine is out with a new rankings. >> and the answer apparently is in san francisco. >> the city's midnight bagel topped the list along with chicken dog bagels. poppy bagels in oakland. also making that list next, a fizzy new take on ketchup. yeah, major league baseball is unveiling pepsi infused ketchup for july 4th. >> it's going to be available at ballparks in new york city, phenix, minneapolis and detroit

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building a better bay area moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >> people are people are getting injured, hurt or killed based off of vehicles that are hitting them in these sideshow activities. >> now at five, a crackdown on sideshow spectators. the new ordinance being considered that could cost onlookers a fine and even jail time. former president trump once again switching up his explanation in the federal case against him about classified documents. >> it's what he is saying now about the latest recordings obtained by abc news celebrations across the bay area are being prepared for the 4th of july holiday. >> and as we always tell you and many people always ignore personal fireworks aren't allowed in most counties. good morning. welcome to a wednesday , june 28th. i'm surprised that we