making news in america this morning, pope francis waking up in the u.s. for the first time, a full schedule ahead. a welcome at the white house and a mass at the country's largest catholic church. we're live in washington with the details. late night appearance. peppering wisecracks and questions, donald trump's first appearance on "the late show" with stephen colbert. the surprise from the normally outspoken gop front-runner. held hostage for months in yemen, a lifelong marine finally home this morning. the emotional reunion with his family. a legend lost. a sad announcement from the yankees overnight, remembering yogi berra. well, good wednesday morning. i'm reena ninan. >> and i'm phillip mena. we begin with the pope's first full day in the u.s., and it

will be a busy one. >> francis is the fourth pope to make a visit to the united states. he wakes up this morning in the nation's capital. >> he was greeted just after landing yesterday by the president and his whole family along with hundreds of others. then he rode in a small fiat windows rolled down to the vatican embassy in washington. that's where he spent the night. for more on what he's got planned for today we're joined by abc's bazi kanani. she's on capitol hill where pope francis will be tomorrow. bazi, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a jubilant reception for the pope here in washington and thousands more are expected to turn out when he arrives later this morning for list first official meeting at the white house. the papal plane touching down at joint base andrews, crowds cheering its arrival. as pope francis deskrepdzs the stairs, a warm welcome from the first family.

pontiff riding in this tiny fiat to the vatican embassy. children greeting him as he heads in to get some much-needed rest for the busy days ahead. this morning as the pope visits the white house, a crowd of 20,000 is expected outside. in new york friday, 80,000 expected to watch the papal procession through central park. and the largest event in philadelphia, up to a million people expected there to hear his message at sunday mass. >> tune your ears because he's coming specifically to say something and i think that we need to be ready to hear whatever it is that he has to say. >> reporter: on the flight here pope francis answered reporters' questions about that message specifically about criticism that it's too progressive for the church, too political. this is an error, he said. i am certain that i have not said one thing that is not within the social doctrine of

the church. the vatican says we can expect to hear the pope speak about climate change and immigration. topics he may bring up today when he meets with the president and possibly again tomorrow when he is here on capitol hill to speak to congress. reena, phillip. >> bazi, i have to ask you. we saw the pope riding in that tiny italian fiat what kind of wheels will he be rolling in today. >> reporter: today our first look at the official popemobile. we do know that while the pope is here in the u.s. he will be traveling in an all white specially fitted jeep wrangler so appropriately an american automaker has made the popemobile. it will have that clear plastic top on it as the popemobile usually does but it will be open air on the side and, of course, that's one of the security challenges for law enforcement as the pope and especially as this pope really likes to interact with the crowds so we expect to see him reaching out from the side of that popemobile.

>> another great choice made in america. >> bazi kanani live in washington, thank you. the mast pope will say today will include the controversial canonization of the founder of california's network of missions. father serra was the spanish monk that established half of the missions in long the california coast. his sainthood is not without controversy. native americans say he brought about the inflatement of their ancestors and death of their culture. the pope's next stop in new york where a monumental security operation already under way. the nypd says some 6,000 officers will be on duty for francis' visit. they will be using nearly 1100 cruisers. about 10 miles of big apple streets will be blocked off today. 818 tons of concrete barrier ss will be used. >> but looking ahead to today, the pope's packed schedule is right here. abc news will have live coverage of the white house welcoming

ceremony at 9:15 eastern, then francis arrives in the popemobile to st. matthew's cathedral for a midday prayer service. this afternoon he'll say mass at the basilica of the national shrine. abc news covering the visit every step of the way. major political headlines this morning. first donald trump appearing on "the late show" telling a skeptical stephen colbert about how he will pay for a wall between mexico. >> barack obama, born in the united states. [ laughter ] >> let me -- >> was he? >> it's a meatball. it's hanging out there. right there. come on. [ applause ] >> you want to know, i don't talk about it anymore. >> you don't talk about it. >> of course, trump was one of the leading voices among those questioning whether mr. obama was born in the u.s. the president eventually made

>> democratic front-runner hillary clinton is coming out against the controversial keystone pipeline. the pipeline would begin in canada and carry oil through the midwest to the gulf. clinton called the project a distraction from the important battle against climate change. jeb bush says it shows clinton favors environmental extremists over u.s. jobs. the president of china arrived in the u.s. ahead of a state dinner at the white house in his honor. the president of china says he's ready to set up a joint effort with the united states to fight cybercrimes. his statement coming amid allegations of increased hacking attacks from china. president xi's first stop is in seattle where he also announced an agreement with the u.s. on renewable energy. still tensions remain as he prepares to be hosted by president obama friday night. well, powerful line of storms slammed parts of until nnl triggering deadly flash floods. the body of one man was pulled from a swollen creek. another man was rescued.

the floodwaters also raced through the streets making it tough for drivers to get around. we have learned overnight that baseball legend yogi berra has died. one of the best catchers ever to play the game. berra spent almost all his career with the yankees. he was a three-time most valuable player, 15 time an all-star and holer of seven world series records. berra was widely known off the field for his often paradoxical sayings. take it. from. myself. >> another famous yogiism, it ain't over till it's over. yogi berra, the yankees legend has died of natural causes. he was 90 years old. we'll have more on this later in this half hour. stale head, the volkswagen scandal growing. new details about how the emissions tests. plus, new this morning, finally home.

yemen reunited with his family overnight. and teacher controversy. an elementary school student told to stop writing with his

president obama has declared a major disaster in one of california's worst wildfires ever. the declaration clears the way for the release of federal funds to help with the cleanup, repairs and rebuilding. the valley fire north of san francisco is still burning after destroying 1200 homes. at least three people were killed and two others are still missing. volkswagen's smog test scandal has exploded.

the world's top selling carmaker value. a stunning 11 million diesel cars popular models like the beetle, passat, jeddah and gulf contain software rigged to evade emission controls. the company is promising to pay for repairs but many car owners are skeptical. the cheat beginning at an emissions testing stations. the controls limiting emissions would then switch on but after the test, the controls switched off again meaning the car would emit illegal levels 40 times higher than allowed. the drug company which hiked the price of a life saving drug 5,000 price says it will lower the cost. the ceo who became a target of widespread public outrage refuses to say what the new price will be. the company obtained rights to sell the drug in august.

from $13.50 per pill to $750. >> also dropping the price for an amazon prime membership to celebrate its five emmy wins, the online shopping giant is offering prime for $67 down from the usual 99 but the offer is only good friday and it's only good for new members. instagram has hit a milestone reaching 400 million users sharing 80 million photos a day. it's enjoying global appeal. 75% of its users live outside the u.s. feel free to sing happy birthday any time anywhere. that's -- happy birthday >> according to a new ruling from a federal judge. that means nobody even reena has to pay royalties even if you're singing to the pope in front of millions or here on "america this morning." the copyright holder says it was suing to collect those profiting

>> so we can play it now, the network doesn't have to worry about paying royalties. it has to be somebody's birthday now. bruce springsteen maybe. legal battle. seanpenngoing after one of hollywood's biggest director. kiss cam can. a major university possibly getting rid of a sporting event tradition.to help rearrange the fridge and get us energized! i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength to keep you active. come on pear, it's only a half gallon. i'll take that. yeeeeeah! new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. all in 160 calories.

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are assessing the damage after getting pummeled by a hailstorm. chunks of ice as big as golf balls rained down yesterday slamming into homes, cars and trucks. one resident said the hail was hitting so hard, it sounded like a shooting range. now for a look at morning road conditions slippery at times from new mexico all the way into the dakotas and upper midwest. scattered storms could make for a wet commute from florida into the mid-atlantic. if you're flying today just a few trouble spots to watch out for with weather-related airport delays possible in minneapolis and miami. well, one of the american hostages held for months in yemen is finally back home in michigan. >> security consultant sam farren touched down late last night for a long overdue reunion with his family. he and an american friend captured by rebels trying to flee the war-torn country last march and he says returning home is all he thought about during those long days pacing in his cell.

>> you can't lose hope. that's all we have. that's all i had. hope was hope. that's what kept me going, hope and faith and the training, of course, being in the marine corps 30 years sure helped. >> the u.s. credits the government of oman with helping to secure the freedom for the two americans. the fate of a third thought to be held by rebels is still unknown. actor sean penn filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against lee daniels creator of the hit "empire." he claims daniels falsely accused him of hitting women by comparing him to the "empire" star terrence howard. howard has admitted to hitting his first wife and is alleged to have abused other ex-wives, as well. daniels said howard is the victim of a racial double standard since sean penn got away with doing the same. there are major developments in the bill cosby sex abuse scandal. this morning "the philadelphia

representatives for cosby have been shopping around for a defense lawyer. that signals that cosby expects to be charged in a 10-year-old sex assault case. it will be the first time he faced prosecution despite dozens of allegations. an oklahoma mom is outraged after her son's precool teacher called him evil because he's left-handed. alicia sands says the teacher forced her son to switch to his right hand and sent the child home with an article describing left-handers as evil and sinister. she complained to the superintendent but says no teacher. oh, the kiss cam as much a part of big sporting events as hot dogs and beers and we saw jimmy carter and his wife on the kiss cam but now syracuse university is unplugging the kiss cam at its football games. the move comes of acomplaints about men forcibly kissing women

recent game. you won't see this guy at a minnesota vikings game any time soon at least not until a deal is struck with the team. his name is joe yurinich but everyone calls him the vikings mascot reportedly he was seeking a contract that would pay him $20,000 per game. he had been making about 1500 bucks a game. >> sorry, dude. not unless you can play right tackle and keep those defenders away from teddy bridgewater you're not going to get paid like that. up next in "the pulse," monkey business. this famous selfie you may remember is now the center of a lawsuit. and on the attack a kayaker's frightening moment out at sea.across america, people like basketball hall of famer dominique wilkins... ...are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes... ...with non-insulin victoza . for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar. but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza .

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time now for "the pulse" and we start just as we began the half hour with the pope. he is ready for a big day in d.c. he is heading to the white house and he'll say a mass all the while francis will be surrounded by tens of thousands of people. >> trips like these can seem so serious but jimmy kimmel still found a way to have some fun with it all. >> you know the pope got quite a reception when he landed. the president and vice president were there to greet him but after they said hello he got foo his own car and this -- what you're about to see is not a joke. >> that, jake tapper, is a fiat. >> he's in the backseat of the fiat like -- excuse me, your holiness your unner x is here. he doesn't believe in extravagance. 'not a fan of commercialism or consumerism. with that said this is how we welcome here in the united states, with pope francis bobble hes with pope francis dolls,

if you're flipping channels welcome to america, pope francis and hopefully you won't stumble on to any real housewife shows. >> i feel like he would be taker ubers anyway. in the u.s. till sunday, plenty of time for more material, no doubt about that. oh, it's going to be a good trip. a new battle front in the battle over animal rights. it involves the famous selfie taken by a monkey in indonesia. the photographer left his camera un unattended and the monkey figured out how to push the button. >> peta says the monkey is the rightful copyright image not the photographer and peta wants to manage the financial affairs of the selfie taking monkey. let that monkey do it herself. she can figure it out. for the second time this week a kayaker in southern california managed to fight off a hammerhead shark. >> yeah, take a look. mark mckraken's gopro was

rolling when the shark started ramming into his kayak and biting it. he hit the shark with his oar more than 20 times but it continues to circle the tiny boat for another 15 minutes. >> the most intense game of whack-a-mole ever. mckraken finally made it to shore but the hammerhead followed him. >> if you're going 0 hit me i'm going to come back again. >> that is crazy. got away, though. you know, people can't get enough of this video we showed you yesterday. a rat carrying a slice of pizza down subway stairs. the view is well more than 2 million. >> he has some hungry, thirsty friends. that rodent getting a milk shake out of the trash and lived to tell about it. that'll do it for us. i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy?

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francis is set for a busy day in washington. he gets an official welcome at the white house this morning which will be shown live on abc this afternoon. he says mass at the largest catholic church in the u.s. the chinese president is in seattle announcing plans to team up with the u.s. to fight cybercrimes. the head of friday night's state dinner at the white house. flash flooding triggered by violent storms being blamed for at least one death in albuquerque and other has to be rescued from the rising water. looking at today's weather, scattered storms from florida to the mid-atlantic. heavy rain for kansas and wisconsin. sunny along the west coast except there's going to be a few showers near seattle. well, we end this half hour with a passing we mentioned earlier. baseball legend and cultural icon yogi berra dead at 90. >> fans are remembering his play on the field and his way with words off the field. with a look back here's linsey davis. >> reporter: lawrence peter yogi

berra was one of baseball's most beloved figures and one of the best catchers to ever play the game. three times most valuable player, 15 times an all-star holder of seven world series records. >> and playing 17 years with the yankees being in 14 world series, we won 10 of hem. >> reporter: opponents knew him as a fierce competitor at his best when the game was on the line. >> this guy here to me is just the finest clutch hitter i've seen in the game today of baseball. >> reporter: the color observations he came up with about baseball and life helped turn him into an american icon. >> come to a fork in the road, take it. >> reporter: one of hundreds of yogiisms collected in a 1998 book, who said the future ain't what it used to be or you can observe a lot by watching. it was the man with eighth grade education who wound up being quoted by a president. >> deja vu all over again as yogi berra would say. >> where do these things come from. >> i don't even know.

i don't even know i say them myself. i don't take make them up. >> reporter: he is one of a select few to win pen apartments in both the american and national leagues. but he was incensed when yankees owner george steinbrenner fired him in 1985. the two didn't patch things up for nearly 14 years. >> i just hope he can accept my apology. >> it's over. >> it's over. it's behind us. >> reporter: a few months after the reconciliation he made a triumphant return to yankee stadium. >> let's welcome home number 8, yogi berra, number 8. >> reporter: it ain't over till it's over, he said. how true. linsey davis, abc news new york. >> and we will miss him. but you know what he had one of the fullest lives that any man could ever ask for.