equivalent there. you can imagine the devastation up to the north. much quieter for them today, by the way. northeast threats bringing showers and storms. nothing unusual here. late day storms will fire and continue to move off to the gulf and we'll repeat heading off to tomorrow. mid and yip 70s and 86 by 10:00. we warm things up quickly between 1:00 and 4:00 with showers and storms. we'll talk more about futurecast. we should be getting late- breaking information about tropic ale wave. the hurricane hunters left at mcdill, janelle, and they are flying in there and hopefully get more info if that so we can get a better forecast flying into early northeast week. we're keeping an eye on the roads right now. we have a situation happening in polk county. this is i-4 eastbound at county line road. you can see law enforcement vehicles on site here. they are on the shoulder, so not causing any road blocks. not sure what's happening here.

so slow down and move over when you pass. the other direction heading towards tampa looking great. we are watching this crash in tampa. this is eastbound mlk right at tampa street. we're seeing a bit of a slowdown westbound. be aware, you might run into a bit of a delay there. also checking your drive on 275, looking good now, southbound 61 mile-per-hours is your average speed. strong after-shocks are co italy after ned's powerful earthquake. at least 200 have hit in just the past 24 hours. >> the death toll from the quake now stands at 247. dozens, though, remain missing. at this hour, search teams using dogs, bulldozers and bare hands to continue to comb through the pile looking for survivors. including one where tourists were gathering for a pasta

this year's sunset music festival and has authorities thinking if this should even be allowed. >> in a matter of hours, the topic will be up for discussion at the city of tampa at the city council. rodney dunningan is live outside raymond james stadium. rodney, problems some. >> reporter: deiah, you know this was certainly a major issue earlier this year. two people actually died from drug overdoses. about 60 other folks were rushed to a lo here. city leaders say all of this has simply gotten out of control, and changes need to be made right away. later this morning, leaders with the police department, fire department, and the tampa sports authority will all be meeting with the city council to discuss their concerns and ways these issues can be prevented going forward. this past year, the sunset music festival put a major strain on st. joseph's hospital with an enormous apartment of

emergency work. the mayer is on record saying these festivals attract drug use, the heat adding up to the perfect storm of problems. they will also look at how other cities manage problems like this as well. rodney dunningan, abc action news. you live in tampa and need a good night's sleep? you won't soon have to worry about awake. 's why, the limit would be 60 decibels. a florida hospital and orlando health say they will not bill the pulse nightclub shooting victims writing off $5.5 million in medical expenses. they want to pay forward the kindness they received from

supported the hospital during -- reached out and supported the hospital during the attacks. orlando region ale medical center treated 44 of the more than 50 victims. 49 people died in the june 12th attack. meanwhile, the investigation into the massacre is moving forward. the florida department of law enforcement has now turned over its part of the investigation into an orlando prosecutor. usf is hoping someone will recognize the guy you see over my shoulder. they want to talk to him abt the man was on campus last thursday evening around the same time detectives received reports of a man exposing himself on campus. usf officers need help identifying the man in the video. again, he is considered a person of interest in the cases. students are rattled by the whole thing. >> it was honestly shocking to the incoming freshmen students not knowing what to think or how to react or protect myself walking around at night. >> the man who exposed himself

if you know anything about who this guy is or who this person of interest might be, call usf police. 6:05 now. new information about a deadly crash in pasco county. florida highway patrol saying neville givings was crossing the street on a mobility scooter when he was hit by an suv. he was taken to the hospital and charges are pending since the man died. a woman was crosswalk near her home. police say 78-year-old arlene anderson was hit just before 8:30 wednesday morning. she later died at the hospital. the driver tell police he simply didn't see her. the crosswalk lights, though, were on at the time. a if you hundred people were hoping for a callback today after a busy job fair at the 911 center. 250 people turned out. we told you about the issues the county faced with calls going unanswered. officials say a lack of

people. current operators have been working around the clock. some on to as many as 17 days straight. wednesday night, hopeful applicants got a tour of the center and a breakdown of the job they would face. >> responding quickly to emergencies and remaining calm and collected during the response as you get to know what you are doing, you have to be able to communicate on several different levels. >> the last job fair attracted 200 applicants, hired. babies born addicted are a real problem and now we look at the foster parents. we protected the foster mom and child's identity because she can't speak out publicly about her case. the mom says the foster care system is in dire need of volunteers. manatee county is the hardest hit. some months, children are being removed from homes at nearly triple the state average. one foster mom says all of the

on the system. >> the state is so heavily induced with so many children, but they don't have the means to really protect these kids like they should. >> the child she is now fostering was born addicted to heroin and had to be put on methadone and detoxed for 11 days. still to come on abc action news at 6:00, stabbed over beer. the reason police say a woman lashed out at her husband and a similar past case. >> prince fans. the change his family is making, giving us a behind the scenes look at the late

10 minutes after 6:00 right now. a woman in pennsylvania is accused of stabbing her husband because he drank her beer. >> he says he drank the beer because she had already gone to bed but e it. when she found out it was gone, she grabbed a pair of scissors and attacked. in 2013, she was arrested after a fight with her boyfriend. police say it started when he forgot to buy barbecue sauce at the store. prince fans will soon be able to his massive estate. tickets go on sale tomorrow and tours start in october. paisley park is where prince

we're waiting to find out how much tickets will cost. prince's sister said this had always been a dream of his. the family is trying to get permission from the city to turn paisley park into a museum. 6:11 here on a thursday morning. we're looking live at hurricane hunters that departed this more thanking from tampa, mcdill. we'll talk coming up. still ahead, the mother of a convicted drunk driving teen and defending what some may say is a strange job for her. >> prprecautions in place to ma

at 6:00 14, new developments this morning, documents from an army veteran who killed five dallas police officers showed symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder after returning from afghanistan. despite that doctors at the va said micah johnson did not pose a serious threat to himself or others. he targeted officers at the end of a peaceful protest on july 7. parents are worried about what could have happened if authorities hadn't found a loaded gun a student brought to the st. pete high school. >> he had it all day with him.

the lakewood high school campus as classes ended tuesday with two warrants for at rest of the 15-year-old. when the officer searched the student, he found that gun under his clothes. parents are relieved the situation didn't escalate. >> i think they should prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law because he had the gun. i have a daughter here. anything can make him fly off the handle and pull the gun. >> the student faces charges for having a gun on school grounds, a third degree f the family of a teenager convicted of drunk driving is now back in the spotlight. ethan couch's mother tanya is defending what some may say is a strange job for her. she is a bartender. these picks were take been i aa woman who visited the bar and says tanya was her bartender. he was 16 years old when he killed people in a drunk driving wreck and was only sentenced to probation.

authorities. in the meantime, she told the customer she had to take any job she could. >> i asked her why a bar given that everything they've gone through. >> reporter: what'd she say? >> no one else would hire her because of what she did. >> the bar owner says everybody deserves a second chance. her attorney says she's grateful she has been able to find lawful employment and not forced to assistance. a captain ordered his crew to abandon ship ten hours after leaving a florida port last year. the ntsb says it recovered 26 hours of information from the ship's recorder including audio from the final hours. the el faro sank october 1st after getting caught in the path of hurricane joaquin. all 33 aboard died. would you take a ride in a driving taxi? the world's first self-driving taxi is launching in singapore

ride through their smartphone in one of the cabs. the company, nutonomy, is a start-up in singapore. it will only have certain pickup and dropoff points. there will be a driver in the front ready to take control of the wheel if need be. uber announced last week it would roll out self-driving cars and it will be tested in pittsburgh in the coming weeks. several policies chipotle employee handbooks violate labor laws. they can no longer ban workers from criticizing the company on social media and change the policy prohibiting talk about politics and religion and one that restricts workers from circulating petitions after an employee was fired for violating the rules. weddings are meant to be a beautiful expression of love. >> if you are a guest, it can be expensive.

survey, 41% of invited guests give a gift whether they go or not. if it is an immediate family member, they spend on average $195. for a friend, the budget is on averagech $89. if -- average of $89. today is national banana split day. >> you might want to visit if your kids noor gymnastics. sprinkles is giving away free away a split. >> they'll offer a special banana split cupcake that's not part of the regular menu. >> always something going on. free cupcakes, free ice cream. excellent stuff here. we'll take advantage of it as we look at conditions for us. let's break it down for you ahead. average rain chances today, 40 to 50% afternoon storms. not to worry this morning, it

with the later day storms. of course we're watching the tropics as we look at titan doppler. this is what happened yesterday in the 12-hour loop. farther south wet. we are here in the middle. i think we'll have plenty of activity later on today. let's talk about what we've been talking about the last few days. we're beginning to lose that in san juan because it doesn't go out that far in hispaniola. it looks that way the hurricane trackers are on top of it. i don't remember the last time a tropical wave was 45 mile-per- hour winds and normally a tropical storm. the issue, again, the winds are not found wrapping around the center, which is the criteria you need for a depression or storm. that's important because the models will lock in on a fixed point and have a better chance of forecasting -- a higher chance of forecasting the correct one here. that hasn't happened yet, so

hurricane hunters this morning, which by the way, left mcdill as they continue to flyp. by the way, throughout the day, they continue to do that until we get a better idea of what will be happening here. this is still moving north and west. that hasn't changed. big high to the north. what the question will be is what intensity will it have as you rise into the bahamas. we'll have a wind to intensify before it hits florida. for us, it means tropical moisture at the very least heading into sunday and early or what this feature does this weekend over the bahamas. that's still to be determined. it is a ways away. future will show the showers and storms continuing to develop throughout the day then pushing over towards the coast. that will be the case tomorrow with rain chances about 40 to 50. we'll keep that going right through saturday. sunday that monday, this will be a changing forecast as that system begins to approach florida. we'll keep you obviously abreast on that as we check in

here's janelle. >> can you do a split? >> no. oh, the temperatures, my goodness. >> that's all i can think of. i need a free cupcake. >> you can do it. >> not anymore. years ago. >> all right. we're watching the drive on i-4 through thonotosassa road. more cars on the road, but no crashes or breakdowns right there on i-4. we do have a traffic alert to tell you about. this is happening overnight in south tampa. mcdill is closing in install a new water main crossing. the closure begins at 9:00 tonight. it's south of euclid. your alternates, dell mabry or heinz as you work your way around this. they hope to have it reopened by 5:30 tomorrow morning. checking your drive times on the toll roads. still in the green on the veterans. looking great on the leroy selmon expressway. six minutes from i-75 into downtown. dan?

crime on a turtle. the reason the people, though, who police say admitted to it are not facing animal cruelty charges. and a cobra escape raising concerns for one community. what was nearby that made this search so urgent? first, at 6:22, there is growing outrage over a high school athlete's sentence after being charged with sexual assault. the petition is calling for the judge's removal. it's a story you'll see on gma. >> reporter: gma's first look, thousands of online petitioners are calling for the removal of the judge who sentenced 18-year-old david becker to probation instead of prison time after he was charged with sexually assaulting two classmates. at a plea hearing in june, judge thomas estes siding with becker's lawyers who argued becker had already suffered due to his actions. becker was arrested in april after two 18-year-old girls told police they'd been

went to sleep in a bed with him. according to police documents, each said they woke up at separate times to becker assaulting them. becker told police he was unaware one of the alleged victims was sleeping and denied having any contact with the other. coming up at 7:00 a.m., we'll have more on the impact of petitions against these types of rulings. with your gma first look, i'm lindsay janice, abc news, new

6:27 now. three people who blew up a turtle won't face animal cruelty charges. >> that's even though one of them admitted to duct taping firecrackers to the turtle then setting them off. >> it happened in penn township, pennsylvania. they are charged with criminal conspiracy and using a weapon. they can't charge the men with animal cruelty because the box turtle they blew up law, is a wild animal, and animal cruelty laws don't apply. take a look at this. see that bag they are carrying? that is a giant king cobra in that bag. there was a desperate search going on for the venomous search because of what was nearby. it went missing from a barn less than two miles from a high school and elementary school.

activity during the search for the snake. they found is yesterday afternoon. a quick fast between 6:00 and 8:00, looking at a good sunrise at 7:06. upper 70s today and we'll get back into the afternoon summer thunderstorms. it's typical for this time of year. we'll have that coming up at the bottom of the hour.

now at 6:30, all new, help on the way for the victims of the devastating earthquake in italy. places that are now giving back after more than 200 people were

flasher at usf. the links being made between this man and several incidents going back as far as last fall. good morning and thank you for joining abc. >> we have an update on the investigation there in just a minute. first, traffic and weather together. how's it looking? >> one crash reported in palm harbor. we'll take a look at that coming up in a moment. >> nothing unusual here as we check out the hour by hour and so he you temps in right now. not a late day event just like yesterday will fire early. the reason for that is a good throw from the north and east. the storms continue to develop east of us and push towards the beaches as we head through later this evening.

better handle on what is going on with this thing. so we should include the forecast. the traffic center is something you are working on already. >> we start off on 275 in pinellas county where traffic is look going. i checked the average speeds from the sunshine to the howard frankland, 67 is the average speed there. we have a crash alderman road. reports of any major road block, leave yourself a few extra minutes to get your way on that crash. we are looking great so far. 18 minutes from 54 to 275. just seven minutes to get from waters to 275. let's check in with action air one. captain al, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning,

morning. came over towards downtown. look for an accident that was in the wrapping up phases at i- 275 southbound at mlk. you can see that stream of cars is unrestricted. this accident is completely cleared. we'll look north all the way up to the very top where they come down from the apex. you know the routine from bush to downtown. all directions including westbound i-4 are moving along smoothly. let's keep that seat belt fastened. now back to the desk. the race is on right now to find more survivors of yesterday's powerful earthquake in italy. 247 people are confirmed dead. among them, two romanians and one spaniard. >> you can see the devastation the quake caused in three small towns. dozens of buildings are just leveled. it's just heartbreaking. thousands are homeless because of the original quake and hundreds of after-shocks that hit that region. italy's just announcing all proceeds from public museums on

rebuilding effort. the minister is urging every italian to visit museums to stand in solidarity with the quake victims. this man could be the key to solving delve interdents of -- solving several incidents of indecent exposure. >> he is a person of interest and someone they m. want to talk to who may have information about the guy who's been flashing students on campus. >> reporter: lindsay logue is live at usf this morning. some of year. >> reporter: good morning, dan and deiah, to you. some of them go back to even more than that. there are a number of unsolved flasher cases in the cases of usf. we did some digging. four in 2015, and three just last week. police want to know if any of them are connected. so they sent us this brand new surveillance video. they want to you take a good look at the man in this video.

go center on campus. the man in the photos at this point is only a person of interest, but he was in the same place at the same time the students reported seeing someone exposing their privates to other students. again, a person of interest. someone who may have seen something or who may have information about the latest flasher cases. in one last week,s reported seeing a man running naked through a parking garage on campus. if you can help share this photo on social media, can identify the person in the photo, usf police want to hear from you. i'm lindsay logue, abc action news. today is a big day for new students at the university of tampa. move-in day gets under way in 2 1/2 hours. check-in at ut's 11 residence halls start as the 9:00 and will continue all day long. returning students arrive tomorrow. classes for ut's fall semester start on monday. a man accused of pointing

appear in court today. that deputy fired a shot at xavier williams during yesterday's confrontation in st. peters. they say he tried calling out of his father's house and has been hiding there for several weeks. he is wanted for armed robbery, kidnapping, domestic strangulation and drug offenses. now investigators have charged him with aggravated assault on an officer and having a gun as a felon. that weapon was stolen during a burglary. his hiding. two big issues have comp a lot in the last year. they share the results in police body cameras. police will share reports on citations and arrests made for bicyclists. we'll let you know what happens. also today, we're expecting to get a first look at a multi-million dollar renovation to raymond james stadium. the tampa bay bucs are insiting

including the video boards of the end zone. they will also upgrade the sound system. they built a premium seating section called the hall of fame club and add it to the menu. this is phase one of the $40 million project out there. you can see the update at 8:00 when the bucs play the cleveland browns. we'll have afternoon thunderstorms but currently, we have hurricane hunters flying over the tropical disturbance updates from them, too. we have a question or storm here forming. we'll have the latest coming up, janelle. if you are getting ready to head out the door, maybe across the bridges, wooer in good shape there money these are your drive times across all three bridges from pinellas, 6:00 to get across the howard frankland and 8:00 across the gandy. coming up, a florida woman says a zika virus sent her to the hospital. the reason she says there

warning. coming up at 6:45, a page in a florida school handbook causing outrage online. the legal change the school is trying to point out to students that's angering some parents. z22s3z zy6z

z22t7z zy6z y22t7y yy6y 6:40. zika updates as we're leadershipping about nine new

one person in pinellas county contracted it through some kind of in-state transmission. >> this morning, we're learning from a lake worth woman who says she's one of the 43 people. she didn't want to reveal her edty and didn't realize she was at risk. >> i was cysting on -- sitting on my patio and had two bites on my arm. who's to think scenario would happen to me. >> reporter: she claims she has only been in palm beach county and believes she was infected around her home. it started out with a fever and rash and eventually had to be hospitalized. new numbers, how much you have to make to afford a house. >> the news is good for the bay area. >> plus, not so great news for the washington monument. the problem crews say is worse

. good morning, everybody, if you are heading out the door in the lakeland area. you might notice flashing lights. we've been watching this on our cameras all morning. some sort of activity. this is in the eastbound lanes

area. here is your drive time 11 minutes from 75 down to 275. let's check in with action air one. captain al, good morning. an accident reported at nebraska southbound right there south of fletcher. we found this car that apparently bumped this sc bus. very little damage. a couple of sheriff's deputies are there on the scene. it is in the median, so it's not affecting the two lanes southbound to the right of it. it looks like it could be here a while. if we see any kids on the bus, it doesn't appear to be any damage whatsoever. here's ivan with the forecast. looking good. we'll have the afternoon storms with this pattern that typically is quiet early.

little after 7:00. the showers eventually end up on the coast between 3:00 and 6:00. we're talking a tropical wave here. we have something stronger than 45 mile-per-hour winds. normally that is a tropical storm. you need the thunderstorms to wrap around the circulation. and that's what's happening in puerto rico and the island of hispaniola. we'll see if we get a better

otherwise this is a mess. look at some of these wobbling up and down like that. when you see that, it's a low confidence forecast. as far as the intensity, that's the chance to get going as far as the significant wind. we could be looking at hefty downpours as far as rainfall. it will be one of those forecasts that unfortunately will be more of a last minute thing unless it completely fall as part. it could happen as well. very terrific forecast without that. nothing okay and beginning sunday into early next week. the forecast and we'll have to continue to tweak depending on

democracy 2016. $18 million. that's the amount hillary clinton raised over the past three days attending nearly a dozen fund-raisers in california. meanwhile, the democratic nominee is saying she doesn't give preferential treatment to donors. people who donated did not guarantee themselves access to her while she was secretary of state even though e-mails seemed to show just that. mane while in florida, for november. they will open up eight new offices including bradenton and winter haven. on the republican side, donald trump is reaching out to minority voters. trump charges clinton as "a bigot and sees people of color as only votes." we are learning about more victims killed in the american university attack in afghanistan. the death toll is now up to 10.

the university of kabul. officials say seven of the dead are students. two are police officers and one a security guard. many more are injured. the attacks started last nigh with the suicide attack. it ended when police killed the two attackers. success in syria as forces work to win back isis- controlled areas. turkey's president says forces took back the town. the u.s. took part mission providing air cover. meanwhile, the u.s. military looking into how in civilians were killed in syria on tuesday. now central command is reviewing it. parents are outraged right now after the school district gave students permission to opt out of the pledge of allegiance. the district says it put the form in its handbook in

inform students of the right to stay silent. after parents posted the form on social media calling it dumb and saying they were ashamed, it started a firestorm. the district removed the form from its handbook. ten till 7:00 now. this story has a lot of people talking online. apparently, you need $162,000 a year in san francisco to buy the average house. >> the news is much better for our bay area. in tampa, you need to make about $45,000 a ye an average priced home. home prices in florida might be getting more affordable in general. tampa, orlando, and miami are more affordable right now than they were three months ago. the cheapest major city is pittsburgh where you can afford a typical home on a $32,000 annual salary. world soccer's former leader wants to clear his name. last year, seth bladder was

his one-time successor $2 million. he is appealing his six-year ban to the sport. justices will decide whether the ban for ethics violation is appropriate. more fallout for bad behavior at the olympic games. hope solo is being suspended for behavior it calls to their prince. s. hope called the swedish team "cowards" after losing to them. olympic swimmer ryan lochte is on a campaign do repair his damaged image. it's reported that he will be on the next season of "dancing with the stars." on monday, he lost all of his endorsement deals following what he described as an armed robbery deal. he admitted later that he exaggerated the claims.

august 30th is unveiled on your abc action news station. weighing more might be linked to more medical problems than originally thought. a new report says gaining excess weight is linked to eight more cancers including stomach, liver and pancreatic cancer. experts already linked weight gain to colon, kidney, and breast cancer. as the pounds add up, so does the risk. one of the capital's most fame tourist attractions will not re crews need to thoroughly inspect the elevator after a cable broke a few weeks ago. they say it needs a full renovation, that could take up to nine months to complete. no word on when the renovations will begin. well it's a day in social media that it's important that you never fall asleep and get caught doing it in public. >> some folks will find a way to make you pay for it.

in an unusual position. there it is. an imager got creative. well, "game of thrones" and performing on stage with michael jackson. today is the last day to enjoy the beach. it's open today from noon until 6:00 limited supply right now. 7 until 7:00 now. the morning sprint. counting you down to "good morning america." >> at first the city of tampa is taking actions after a concern of a concert that turned deadly. city leaders will discuss potential changes following problems and deadly overdoses a few months ago. the mayor already said he does not want it back. two people died and nearly 60 others were sent to the hospital.

issues at other events across the city. usf police need your help to identify the person of interest they want to talk to about a flasher on campus. police believe this man was in the same area at the same time. they got several reports of a man exposing himself. last week, students reported three separate flasher incidents to police. police believe those cases could be connected to a similar one from last fall. if you know anything about this, call campus police. a man accused of pointing a gun at a deputy is appear in court today. deputies firing a shot in st. peters. he was wanted for armed robbery, domestic strangulation and drug offenses. now he's charged with having a gun as a felon. if you are driving along kennedy boulevard, you might run into extra traffic along the university of tampa. it is move-in day for hundreds of u.t. students. students and parents begin

morning. good morning, everybody. in wesley chapel, we are watching a crash. this one just in on a wesley chapel boulevard and the westbound lanes right at gate way. reports of road blocks in the westbound lanes. if you are trying to get to the interstate, and if you are acrossing the bridges, less than ten minutes to route 3. >> reporter: southbound nebraska south of fletcher avenue, they are off in the turn lane and not in the travel lane. everything from southbound 275 is very busy but no accidents. have a great thursday. here's ivan. a lot of sunshine early by noon. getting back into the showers and thunderstorms with coverage about 40%. we've all probably had a bad i.d. feet owe or two over the years.

is embracing hers. >> she decided to recreate her kindergarten picture with the pig tails and same priceless expression. she shared the hilarious results on twitter and it is taking off with nearly 100,000 "likes" so far. >> she hasn't changed. >> she's still so cute. "good morning america" is up next. >> keep up to date with us here on our mobile app on facebook and twitter. >> ivan and janelle are back in

good morning, america. breaking overnight, state of emergency. at least 35 twisters tear through the heartland. >> oh, my gosh. starbucks just got blown over. >> winds hit 165 miles an hour, flattening homes and buildings. as more storms move in. miraculous rescue. a 10-year-old making it out alive. [ cheers ] >> as crew work overnight in italy sempbling for survives on the ground and in the air. the death toll climbing as more than 200 aftershocks rock the country. stakeout shooting. the waiter furious about a customer pulls out a gun, fires it on the job. hope solo suspended.