making news in america this morning, a different tone from the republican candidates. fewer fireworks and more policy at last night's debate, but it wasn't all civil. plus, donald trump talking about the recent violence at his rally. historic flooding. entire neighborhoods surrounded by water. the national guard rescuing people from their homes. feet of rain across three states. when it's all moving out. final farewell, a ceremony today for nancy reagan, vips and celebrities on the guest list. we're live with the details. the big bash at the white house, a parade of famous faces, the first lady wowing once again and the emotional moment during the president's toast.

we begin with the gop candidates putting their most presidential face forward. >> it was the 12th debate. it was in miami, and it was marked by a dramatic shift in tone. all four men sticking to the issues and refraining from personal insults. donald trump was also uncharacteristically low key even as he faced questions about violence at his rallies like this attack you see here on a protester. it's "your voice, your vote" and get the highlights from abc's stephanie ramos. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and reena. no playground insults this time around. the republican candidates showed up to talk about the issues. no swipes at small hands or orange tans. >> don't worry about it, little marco. >> reporter: no name calling at the most civil gop debate. >> please do not talk over one another. >> reporter: they didn't. the republican presidential candidates in miami on the cusp of crucial primaries in florida and ohio focusing more on policy issues like social security. >> i will do everything whi

security, to leave it the way it is. >> reporter: to entitlement reform and immigration. >> we clearly have to control our borders. we can't have people walking in. >> reporter: and the violence in the middle east. >> we have to do whatever is necessary to utterly defeat isis. >> reporter: all of the candidates appearing to be on their best presidential behavior, even donald trump. >> so far i cannot believe how civil it's been up here. >> reporter: trump was asked about his recent statements saying islam hates us. >> did you mean all 1.6 billion muslims? >> i mean a lot of them. i mean a lot of them. >> the problems presidents can't say anything they want. it has consequences here and around the world. >> reporter: trurp put on the spot asked about the recent violence at his campaign resents, the question is he encouraging this type of violence? >> i hope not. >> reporter: police say the man who threw the elbow at a north carolina rally is 78-year-old john mcgraw. he's now charged with assault and battery. mcgraw later boasting to "inside

with a protester. >> the next time we see him we might have to kill him. >> reporter: trump blaming that on his supporters' love of country. >> it's beautiful in many respects but don't condone that at all. >> reporter: cruz eager to take on trump and trump bracing for a contest contested convention. >> i think whoever gets the most delegates should win. >> reporter: trump is banking on a win with ben carson by his side. trump is expected to officially announce an endorsement from ben carson today. back to you. >> stephanie ramos, thanks so much. well, more now on what appeared to be a concerted effort by gop candidates to abandon the school yard antics for their calmest face-to-face discussion yet. >> a different tone and rick klein gives us his analysis in miami. good morning, rick. >> reporter: reena and kendis, donald trump tamed himself. his ultimate enemy finally he showed control. dominated the stage because no one was attacking him. by far the

republicans saving their tamest for the last and the other candidates seemingly not wanting to hit donald trump, they tried so many strategies, they have failed in the past this time around they decided to hold their fire and donald trump was left soaring, standing at the end. he is the overwhelming front-runner. the other candidates playing their own games. playing in their own zone, playing in their own lanes but after some of the most raucous and wild debates we've had republicans are ending with an essential whimper and growing acceptance that donald trump likely to be the nominee. the next contest, of course, critical. reena and kendis. >> the focus to the democrats and a boost of star power for hillary clinton. >> the clinton campaign rolled out a new ad featuring the leading women of shonda rhimes' hit tv shows, kerry washington, ellen pompeii and rhimes himself and tony goldwin who plays president on "scandal." bernie sanders holding

for more surprise victories in those key primaries next week. yesterday it was on delegate rich florida attracting 20,000 people in all. sanders promised expanding social security and told supporters he could win florida if there is a large voter turnout. now to the this morning's other big story, ten southern states under flood watches and warnings as almost two feet of rain has triggered historic and deadly flooding. at least four people have been killed by floodwaterers stretching hundreds of miles inundating hundreds of miles. louisiana and mississippi could see another 10 inches of rain through saturday. take a look now at the latest radar which shows the most powerful part of that storm system stretching hundreds of miles. it is marching eastward. a live report from the region on "good morning america." well, security will be extremely tight today for the funeral of former first lady nancy reagan. >> she passed away last sunday at the age of 94 and today reagan will be laid to rest

presidential library. >> reporter: abc's brandi hitt is there and who are we expecting? >> reporter: more than a thousand are expected later on today. first lady michelle obama. hillary clinton, also george w. and laura bush. governor jerry brown will be here. even former governor arnold schwarzenegger will be attendance and also a lot of hollywood celebrities attending this funeral, a long list, wayne newton, tom selleck, anjelica houston, john stamos and mr. t. played an integral role in the first lady's "just say no" anti-drug campaign. he will make an appearance, as well, reena and kendis. >> lest we forget. who will be doing readings and who will eulogize mrs. reagan? >> reporter: nancy

reflections and so will tom brokaw, he will deliver one and abc's own diane sawyer is going to be here and she's going to deliver a gospel reading. we've been told there will be a choir, opera singer but the library spokespeople said when they went over each detail with nancy reagan because she helped plan her own funeral she wavenltsed a service, short sweet and very memorable. we're all going to see how it plays out later today. the good news they have been able to cover it with a large tent because, unfortunately, there is going to be a lot of rain this afternoon but they prepared for everything here. >> all right, brandi hitt joining us live from simi valley, california. thank you, brandi. abc news will have live coverage of nancy reagan's funeral starting at 2:00 eastern time on air and online. well, still ahead, the cost of mailing a letter going down for the first time in a century. finally found, two teenagers missing for nearly a year alive and well. a person now under

white house. a state dinner for the canadian president. the moment that got president obama emotional.

those flames you see there lighting up the night sky in east los angeles, an industrial building was completely destroyed in the blaze. it took more than 100 firefighters hours to put the fire under control. luckily no one was inside. arson investigators were called to the scene. president obama says he will nominate a supreme court justice for the vacancy created by the death of antonin scalia despite republican objections. there's word the president is interviewing at least five potential nominees and could be close to an announcement. but senate republicans insist

get a hearing for a vote. >> there hasn't been a vacancy created in a presidential election year filled in 80 years. this vacancy will not be filled this year. we will look forward to the american people deciding who they want to make this appointment through their own votes. >> well, that said, a new abc news/"washington post" poll shows 63% of americans think the senate should hold hearings. president obama expects the senate to do it job as outlined in the constitution, he says. federal prosecutors are reportedly set to formally charge iran for that cyberattack three years ago on a dam outside new york city. the hackers never fully managed to infiltrate the system fully and investigators say they never posed any danger. the feds hope the indictment will act as a deterrent against state-sponsored cyberattack. the price of stamps is expected to go down next month for the first time in nearly a

but not if the postal service gets its way. here's why, a recent temporary postal increase was supposed to be reversed when they collected $4.5 billion in revenue. that should happen next month but reducing prices shouldn't happen because of the agency's poor financial condition. a major frozen food under way. nestle is pulling nearly 3 million boxes of digiorno pizza and lean cuisine meals after customers reported finding glass in their food. the company says the glass may have come from the spinach packaging used in those meals. we posted more info on our website, atmfans.com. when we come back, a health alert. a 10% higher chance of you having a heart attack. this coming monday. and the last time we'll ever see this, kobe and lebron on the court together. highligh f

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there has to be a way. carry the centimeter, divide by 3.14 something something something... [ beeping, whirring ] great caesar salad! ♪ and now the name your price tool shows people policy options to help fit their budget. is that a true story? yeah! people really do save an average of over $500 when they switch. i mean about you inventing it. i invented the story, and isn't that what really matters? so... what else about me? back now with a look at your morning road conditions. flooding across nearly all of texas and much of the south up to the midwest and roads will be wet up and down the west coast into nevada and idaho along with mountain snow. if you're flying, airport delays are possible in dallas, houston, memphis, new orleans, san francisco and los angeles. well, two top executives a

been fired. >> accused of squandering millions of dollars in donations on travel and lavish staff retreats. steven fardizzi and al giordano, spending on conferences and team building meetings, skyrocketed by more than 1500% after nardizzi took over, $250,000 spent on snacks and sodas. most charities spend about 90%. a dangerous murder suspect on the run for more than a week shot and killed in mississippi. rafael mccloud broke out of jail last week threatening a guard with a homemade knife and stealing his clothes. been a fugitive until yesterday when he forced his way inside a home holding a man, his wife and 5-year-old son in the bathroom. the woman broke free and grabbed a gun and gave it to her husband who shot and

two sisters have been found nearly a year after they vanished. ky-lea and shaeleen fitch-fortner had not been seen since last april when they were waiting for a school bus. they were living with a foster family at the time of their disappearance. the woman charged with abducting them is said to be an acquaintance. this week we dial the clocks ahead for daylight saving time. but with this year comes a reminder, health warning, in fact, researchers say there's mounting evidence that the stress and disturbance of the internal body clock by springing forward could raise your risk of a heart attack by up to 24%. it's recommended that everyone try to go to sleep earlier saturday night to make up for that lost hour. very good advice. i could see how that could happen. >> one more thing that will have hearts racing, the conference tournament titles and automatic bids to claim this weekend in college basketball, of course, on sunday we'll know all the details about march

>> get your bracks in. last night's hoop highlights from our well-dressed friends at espn. >> i'll button my coat because i'm taking this segment seriously. stan, i'm neil. >> sure sign, the buttoned jacket. kobe bryant and lebron james staples center, last go-round for these two head-to-head because bryant's final year in the nba and vintage kobe bryant during the game, he had 26 points. >> what if he changes his mind. >> james, 24. >> what, and comes back? >> yeah. >> then he plays another year. i don't think that will happen. >> i don't either. >> i think he's one of those guys when he says he's done, he's done. lakers won two in a row coming into this game. there you go. look at that. man, he had some moments in this game. but, james and his team had more moments. cavaliers win, it 120-108. nothing but respect there. >> kobe bryant rethinking retirement is now trending. >> no, it's

>> making stuff up. >> i don't know what trending is. heald, i know who he is. hey, buddy. you know, it's going to be interesting to see how he translates to the next level. >> i think he's going to be really good and can create his own shot. he can do that is there there you go. >> he had 39. >> you know what he had for pregame? >> what. >> pops. oklahoma by three beat iowa state. >> anything else? >> yeah, when in oahu stop down and say hi to murphy. >> we got to look up this murphy. >> we'll send you over there. the bromance budding at the white house. president obama and canada's prime minister justin trudeau and the long list of celebrities at the state dinner. plus, a sly fox rummaging through a golfer's bag making off with something important.

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♪ time now to check "the pulse" starting with a star-studded event at the white house. >> a state dinner celebrating the visit of newly elected canadian prime minister justin trudeau and his wife sophie. president obama got emotional during his toast. >> talking about trudeau's young children saying they reminded him of sasha and malia when he was elected. >> when i was first elected to this office malia was 10 and sasha was just 7 and they grow up too fast. this fall malia heads off to college and i'm starting to choke up so i'm going to wind -- it was in my remarks and -- [ laughter ] i didn't -- i can't do it. it's hard. >> you know he said he told someone recently at an event that he was asked to speak at

and didn't because he was so emotional. >> exactly. he said he wouldn't be able to make it through. the president thanked trudeau for not building a wall along the canadian border with us, an obvious jab at the donald. stealing the spotlight was first lady michelle obama. look at her. amazing in a custom gown by a canadian, jason wu. >> nice tribute to the canadians there. among the attendees some of hollywood's best known, canadian ryan reynolds with his wife blake lively and mike myers looking different along with "saturday night live" producer lorne michaels. >> everyone looked pretty dazzling. >> justin bieber not in attendance. >> you were disappointed by that. >> send a letter to the white house. >> yes, start a petition. next up an effort to deal with what you're seeing there in the wall, that's a depiction of what's known as man spreading. >> my eyes up here, ladies. of course, man spreading is when some guy takes up more than one seat for whatever good reason, he no doubt has and a proposal in the bay area

fines for offenders. >> first offense, 100 buck, second time, 200 buck, repeat offenders after that $500 fine. the proposal must be approved by transit officials. it's been said that golf is a good walk spoiled. one group's round was nearly spoiled by a fox. >> in ireland the players looking on as a fox pokes around in a golf bag. >> then the fox grabs a wallet, yeah, and takes off. one of the guys had to give chase. thankfully the fox dropped the wallet and was retrieved. that's the last time they'll let a fox get that close. >> it's pretty impressive the fox knew to go right after the wallet. i'm wondering if the taste of leather was so good and realized it wasn't so good after all. >> talk about your golf hazards. >> talk about smarter than a fox. more news after this.

it's friday.. march 11th. good morning washington. and i'm jummy olabanji.. in for autria godfrey. toss to eileen today: clouds and an isolated sprinkle very early. becoming partly cloudy and pleasant. highs: 60-65 winds: n 5-15 mph tonight: mainly clear and cool. lows: 39-45 winds: ne 5 mph saturday: mostly cloudy with an isolated sprinkle. comfortable. highs: 60-65 winds: s 5-10 mph

breaking now.. a major tractor

closes several lanes on the beltway overnight. our cameras were on the scene just before 1 am. it happened on the outer loop near route 355. road crews say a flat-bed tractor trailer overturned, spilling an entire load of lumber onto the road. several lanes were blocked as workers picked up the debris. no word on the driver's current condition. turning to the presidential race.. republican presidential candidates strike a much more friendly tone during last night's debate in miami florida. front-runner donald trump leads nationwide, as candidates prepare for a third super tuesday. still-- with several more states still up for grabs, it didn't take long for candidates to start attacking a familiar target. we will have much more on last night's debate, including a major endorsement expected today,

few minutes. this morning.. a former prince george's county school bus driver will be in court, to face sex trafficking charges. police say raleigh mcclam was arr.ested along with another man, saivon sharpe. they are charged with prostituting a 16 year old victim at the red roof inn plus on shady grove rd in rockville mcclam had also worked as a prince george's county school bus driver. he is now free on bond. if convicted on all charges, he could face more than 100 years in prison. americans will soon lose out on nearly 1 billion dollars in federal tax returns. if you haven't filed your 2012 income taxes- the money will soon disappear. 950 million dollars are going back into the government's pocket on april 18-th. the feds say about 1 million americans have refund check

dollars waiting for them. it's xx and we're just getting started. "i know that's a lot of people find appeal in the things donald says because he says the things appeal in the things donald says because he says the things they wish they could say. the problem is presidents can't just say anything they want. it has consequences here and around the world." the hits were softer.. but republican candidates still bring the heat ahead of a make-or-break day on the campaign trail. we have highlights.. coming up. good morning washington.

today: clouds and an isolated sprinkle very early. becoming partly cloudy and pleasant. highs: 60-65 winds: n 5-15 mph tonight: mainly clear and cool. lows: 39-45 winds: ne 5 mph saturday: mostly cloudy with an isolated sprinkle. comfortable. highs: 60-65 winds: s 5-10 mph turning to the presidential race--