making news in america this morning, new york showdown. the presidential candidates converging on the empire state. donald trump greeted by hundreds of protesters and a cold welcome for cruz told to get out of the bronx as the back and forth heats up between hillary clinton and bernie sanders. breaking overnight severe storms tearing through the south causing damage and spotting possible tornadoes. plus the dry and windy conditions on the west coast sparking wildfires. caught on camera a school police officer slamming a female student. this morning the student and her mother talking about what happened. and what a mess. all over a house. the prints left behind leaving no doubt who's the culprit. the pictures going viral.

good thursday morning, everyone. we'll get started with the latest war of words in the race for the white house. the front-runners really hoping to rebound from wisconsin on their home turf now. >> 10,000 came out to see donald trump in new york as supporters and protesters clashed outside hurling insults at each other. but police managed to keep them apart. inside, trump blasted ted cruz and the democrats, also exchanging fierce attacks. it's "your voice, your vote." we get the latest from abc's stephanie ramos. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: you got it. the presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail trying to reach out to voters ahead of another big primary vote. at a rally in pennsylvania a bolder bernie sanders. >> let me just say in response to secretary clinton, i don't believe that she is qualified if she is

>> reporter: sanders firing back after hillary clinton released a flurry of attacks his way. the clinton camp tweeting this is a new low saying clinton sever sanders was not qualified. with new york set to vote in less than two weeks clinton is gripping a sanders stumble. >> a number of important areas he doesn't have a plan at all. >> reporter: sanders tripping up during an interview with "the new york daily news" about how he'd break up the big banks. >> you think that the fed now has that authority? >> i don't know if the fed has it but i think the administration has it. >> reporter: despite his uphill climb, clinton has more than 700 delegates. sanders needs to win 74% of the remaining delegates to beat her. for the republicans all eyes set on the empire state. a mob of protesters and supporters greeting donald trump in long island as the gop front-runner tries to win over new yorkers in his home state. for ted cruz, a rough welcome in the bronx. >> get o o

>> reporter: cruz defending the remarks on new york values that he first made months ago while also trying to show off his spanish to an immigrant dominant community. [ speaking a foreign language ] >> reporter: so we're likely to see a battle over delegates at the gop convention this summer. on the democratic side that's something bernie sanders is hoping for as he goes up against hillary clinton. kendis and reena back to you. >> i imagine ted cruz is not going back to the bronx any time soon. severe weather is taking a huge toll in parts of the country and it's not over yet. >> in central alabama a possible tornado touched down overnight crushing mobile homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power. no injuries reported so far but some of those downed trees are blocking roads and trapping people in their cars. looking at the radar you can see the massive weather system stretching from the florida panhandle to the canadian border now moving through georgia. rain expected today in the northeast. well, the other big weather

arctic air. the freeze line from missouri to north carolina likely smashing some april cold records. in the west heat, a suspicious wildfire now growing to nearly 1,500 acres along the california/arizona border and crews are having a tough time because of sizzling temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions and burning near a resort area. over in oklahoma the governor declaring a state of emergency in ten additional counties where flames driven by powerful winds have destroyed homes and forced hundreds of people to flee. wildfires have scorched hundreds of square miles and at least one firefighter has been injured. we turn to the growing worry nationwide over the zika virus outbreak. >> the obama administration is hoping to add extra firepower to combat the spread of the virus and diane macedo joins us with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: reena and kendis, good morning to you. nearly $600

money left over from the fight against ebola earmarked for research into a zika vaccine and efforts to keep it from spreading but white house and health experts say it's not enough. the original emergency request of $2 billion still stands. zika has been linked to serious birth defects and blaine damage in infants and even paralysis in adults and health officials say at least two species of mosquito can carry the virus and latest maps show one of those is stretching as far north as southern new england along the east coast. as of last wednesday there have been 312 travel-related cases of zika in the united states. health officials now worry as temperatures warm up people could start getting zika here in the u.s. kendis and reena. >> diane, thank you for the latest on that. well, president obama hits the road today to promote supreme court nominee merrick garland. he'll make it not from his hometown at the university

taught constitutional law and mr. obama wants garland to have a full hearing on capitol hill as outlined in the constitution despite objections from republican lawmakers. and it's not every day that you get a call from the white house then again it's not every day you clinch the ncaa title. president obama reached out to the head coach of the national champion villanova wildcats calling jay wright to congratulate him on the big win. >> your team showed grit and, you know, really high character team throughout the thing so it was a pleasure to watch and congratulate all of them and tell jenkins that he looked pretty cool out there, taking that last shot. >> coach wright told the president that his wife had a crush on him. the president said to make sure that he brings her to the white house when the wildcats visit and he promised to take a picture with her. that's a selfie, everybody, a

>> cute to see those boys there and the ladies will be there, as well. >> don't write hate mail into the white house because they are definitely going to be there. a carmaker scrambling to fix a billing error that double charged customers for payments. under arrest, a teacher caught with a gun. a truck tolling

you're watching ang extreme case of road rage in southern california. a motorist says he was rear ended by a chauffeur driving an suv then attacked by that same chauffeur and smashed his window with a crowbar and police are investigating but so far no arrests. a flight heading to

to hawaii after the pilots got concerned about having enough fuel. it was halfway across the pacific when the pilots realize they were in a condition known as overburn. too much fuel being burned because of strong head winds. >> we do know to a great extent what those winds are going to be but that is a long stretch of water and there's no weather stations out there. >> well, such a return is rare. but the rules for reserve fuel at landing is very strict. a middle school's teacher in newtown, connecticut has been arrested after he was found carrying a gun at school. police say jason adams who had a valid pistol permit was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds. he was placed on paid administrative leave. newtown, of course, the scene of a massacre at sandy hook elementary which left 26 victims. a texas teenager is the tenth american whose death is blamed onta cat that air bags. the 17-year-old killed in a car scratch after the air bag

ruptured. honda sent it sent the registered owner a recall notice for it but the repairs were never completed. more than 28 million of those inflaters are under recall. well, many honda owners are learning the dangers of automatic bill pay. they deducted monthly payments twice from customers who overwhelmed customer service lines. honda blames the payment processing error and promises affected customers will begin receiving refunds today. >> not cool. when we come back, secret recording on the operating table. a patient shocked to hear what the doctors were saying about her. remembering merle haggard. the tributes pouring in for the country music legend overnight . ome? mmm that is tasty. is it real? . are you? nope animated attack. takata.

not at all mmm you're all right bud? never better i don't know if he likes that. yeah part of the complete breakfast hey sweetie, how was your first week? long. it'll get better. i'm at the edward jones office, like sue suggested. thanks for doing this, dad. so i thought it might be time to talk about a financial strategy. (laughing) you mean pay him back? knowing your future is about more than just you. so let's start talking about your long-term goals... multiplied by 13,000 financial advisors. it's a big deal. and it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. to you, they're more than just a pet. so protect them with k9 advantix ii. it kills fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. k9 advantix ii. for the love of dog.

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check this out. high winds nearly knocking this truck off a bridge in england. it strains along the railing then smashes into a lamppost. no one seriously hurt but the windshield of the truck took quite a beating. >> incredible images. at home it's wind along with wet weather creating problems for this morning's commute. plan on heavy wind gusts across the northeast and watch out for rain-soaked roads from washington to d.c. airport delays in possible d.c., philadelphia, new york and boston. a suspicious death in austin, texas, has students on edge this morning at one of the state's largest college campuses. >> the body of a young woman was found at the bottom of a

university of texas campus. police are calling it a homicide but they have not yet identified the woman. meantime, the university president is urging the 51,000 students to be extra cautious at night and to stick to well-lit sidewalks. also in texas a mother of a 123-year-old body slammed by a school police officer is speaking out. cell phone video captured the moment when the officer grabbed the girl and threw her to the ground. he has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. the mother's demanding some answers from the school. >> i was upset. i was angry because i still couldn't believe that he had done that to her. and then she told me, mom, i wasn't fighting. why did he do that? >> right here it was a bigger bump the first day but i mean it got down, but it's still bruised. >> the girl was suspended for two days for fighting but she's been too scared to return to school. the police department says there's no tolerance for excessive use of force. also in texas, a houston hospital patient is outraged overha

while she was unconscious on the operating table. ethel easter had hidden a recording device in her hair extensions. this is what it picked up. >> you see her belly button. >> easter admits arguing with the doctor when he couldn't schedule her surgery sooner. in a letter to easter the letter says it alerted staff to be mindful of their comments at all times but no further action is warranted at this time. easter is now considering suing. florida governor rick scott was trying to get his morning cup of joe at a starbucks when another customer went ballistic ripping him for his health care policies. >> you don't care about working people. you should be ashamed to show your face around here. you strip women of access to public health care. shame on you, rick scott. >> well, that woman did a former commissioner in another city. she wouldn't let up on the governor until he finally gave up and left and by the

of coffee. merle haggard known as the poet for the common man died yesterday on his 79th birthday ironically. he was a master guitarist, fiddler, songwriter with dozens of number one songs drawing from real-life experiences including an early life of poverty and a stint in prison. stars are paying tribute. willie nelson tweeting this saying he was my brother, my friend, i will miss him. carrie underwood tweeting love and prayers for the haggard family. merle was a pioneer. a true entertainer, a legend, there will never be another like him. well, time for sports. just nine days left until the nba playoffs start. >> some teams are still trying to clinch a spot. here with last night's highlights our friends at espn. good morning. >> america. >> there you go. she's nicole, i'm nell neal. if you haven't seen the dogs playing hockey, google that and

>> best thing you'll see. besides this one. mavs and rockets. both teams vying for playoff positioning. j.j. barea had a baby earlier in the week. under 20 seconds to play. rockets down one, james harden with the ball stripped by dirk nowitzki. seven points. but that one, that strip is pretty big. devin harris at the line making both free throws and jason terry makes his first at the line but misses the second, mark cuban loves it. dallas wins, 88-86. san diego has not scored a run in its first two games of the season. at home against the dodgers. and no team has been shut out in three consecutive games to open a season this from lee swinger, research extraordinaire. mayata, six innings, nothing earned. hit a home run. that's it after andrew

in. they're going to win, 7-0. puig, yard, his first. the padres have yet to score a run. >> you wake up. we're going to go to bed. >> when you wake ups the padres will still have not scored a run. >> still be 0-2. all right. thank you. last week we told you about a hard core texas rangers fan elizabeth sullivan and chosen to throw out the first pitch at yesterday's game. >> she got the whole vip treatment once she arrived at the ballpark then when she took the slightly moved up mound and made her pitch, the crowd went crazy. and like all sporting event big shots she, of course, had a postgame press conference where she reminded everyone that her secret energy drink is dr. pepper. apparently three bottles every single day. >> three bottles of dr. pepper will keep the doctor away apparently for 105 years. all right. up next in "the pulse," germs in

nastiest. what a mess. a family comes home to this. one look at the paw prints and it didn't take long to figure out what happened. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. my psoriatic arthritis caused joint pain. just like my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and i was worried about joint damage. my doctor said joint pain from ra can be a sign of existing joint damage

he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain and help stop further damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prescribed biologic. it's realizing beautyg doesn't stop at my chin. roc©'s formula adapts to delicate skin areas. my fine lines here? visibly reduced in 4 weeks. chest, neck & face cream from roc.© methods, not miracles.

ugh! heartburn! no one burns on my watch! try alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. they work fast and don't taste chalky. mmm...amazing. i have heartburn. alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. ♪ time now for "the pulse" and i should point out take a look at the graphics over the next -- this period right now because they went to town on the graphics department. >> beautiful. >> started with the masters starting today at augusta. >> yesterday it was the annual par 3 contest with the players' kids doing their part as caddies. some of them even took a few shots along the way. >> that's awesome. >> always one of the highlights. plenty of holes in

was 80-year-old golf legend gary player. he knocked it out of the green then a left hook down the hill and you see the celebration right into the hole. that shot is definitely one for the record books because players is now officially the oldest one to record a hole in one in the par 3 contest. >> how do i perfect that swing and get that exact same motion? >> you need some practice. >> i need a lot of practice. >> yeah. okay, so next before you head to the gym you might want to bring some hand sanitizer. >> a new analysis of bacteria growing at large chains around the country finds that workout equipment is far germier than some of the grossest surfaces that we touch every day. >> really. >> here's an example. this exercise bike has 39 times more bacteria than a plastic cafeteria tray. and the treadmill, 79 times more bacteria than a water faucet. >> that's disgusting. but the worst offender, free

>> not really. you can tell from these guns. clearly not. but they're covered with 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, 362 times more. >> than a toilet seat. >> oh, my goodness. wash those hands. >> sweating to the oldies. now this is why you should not leave your beloved family pet home for too long. >> this husky has good reason not to make good eye contact during a well deserved time-out. he left his mark all over the house and literally got its paws on calligraphy ink and had a field day if they found these paw prints everywhere in the entire house. black ink all down the carpet, black ink all up the wall. guilt written all over the culprit's face and you know who i'm talking about. >> did you know there was only one print on the bed. he was smart enough to know not to go on the

today is something even better. it's opening day for the nationals! good morning washington. i'm autria godfrey.. and i'm scott abraham in for larry smith.. toss to jacqui live doppler shows a few sprinkles along i-81. rain moves into the metro between 6a and 7a. weather headlines, a rainy morning with a midday break then scattered t-showers this afternoon. a wintry weekend with a blast of cold air and a mix of rain and snow on saturday morning and cold temps in the 40s for highs. milder temps return early next week. general map 66 @ nutley st s capitol st 270/i-70

breaking right now.

an attempted home invasion in the district ends with a 6-year-old boy shot multiple times. our cameras were on the scene just before 1-am, in the 5800 block of foote street in northeast. police there say multiple gunshots were fired during the apparent break-in, wounding the little boy. he is now hospitalized in stable condition with multiple gunshot wounds to his arm. we are following this story and will bring you more details as they come in. in maryland-- a silver spring man is facing charges for a string of sexual assaults. detectives say demarco knight confessed to all three crimes --- saying he attacked the women because he was quote, "hungry." in one case- he's accused of beating and raping a panhandler. court records say that "knight" has a lengthy criminal record. he has been arrested for crimes like kidnapping and carjacking -- and was sentenced to 18 months supervised probation.

the maryland board of public works has unanimously approved a contract to build a light rail purple line. the 16-mile transit line will have 21-stations between bethesda and new carrollton. maryland will be responsible for more than three-billion dollars of the five-point-six billion dollar pricetag. federal and county funding will cover the rest. construction is set to begin later this year. new this morning.. prince william county is moving forward with a controversial plan to change the name of mills e. godwin middle school. the school, named after the former virginia governor, will be renamed after african-american community leader, george hampton. the move comes in response to protests from parents and council members, who criticized governor godwin's support for racial segregation. after hours of public comments and an intense debate, the prince william county school board voted to move forward with the name change. it's xx and we're just getting started. breaking news. a home invasion ends with shots fired in the district

and a six year old boy seriously injured. we have the latest on the child's condition and the search for the shooter. and its almost time to play ball! its opening day down at nationals park. but will the weather hold up? we have complete coverage.. coming right up. good morning washington. i'm scott abraham in for larry smith temps in the 50s this morning, so much warmer! but rain is moving in. futurecast shows rain in the western suburbs by 6a.m and along i-95 by 7a.m. a midday break, then scattered showers and maybe a rumble of thunder in the afternoon and evening. dry conditions overnight and tomorrow.

66 breaking right now.