♪ this morning on "world news now" chaos in times square. >> a man rams his car into crowds of people, mowing down pedestrians, killing a young woman. we have new details about the driver and new video in. hours ago, police taking a new step to protect one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. >> the president is calling the investigation into russian meddling and the campaign a witch hunt and he says the special counsel hurts our country terribly. all of this happening as he leaves on his first trip abarred. >> severe weather in parts of the country as tornados touched down in three states including oklahoma. this as the forecast calls for heat wave in the northeast and snow in colorado. >> then check out who is getting toned up for swimsuit season. the new trick t

learning to get in shape for the dog days of summer. we will have that story coming up in the mix. it is friday, may 19th. ♪ >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> a good morning to you all. we begin with the deadly crash in "new york times" square. a driver is in custody t accused of mowing down a crowd of pedestrians. >> take a look at the video we are getting. investigators say the navy veteran, richard rojas, struck 23 people after driving the wrong way, then speeding down the sidewalk for more than three blocks. 18-year-old alyssa elsman, seen there, was killed. she and her sister were visiting the big apple from michigan. the 13-year-old sister is among the injured. >> overnight police installed concrete barriers around times square to protect the tourist attraction. authorities say it is an isolated incident. abc's gee owe beniti

>> reporter: unimaginable horror, a car blowing into packed times square. the car koreaning into a thick crowd of people. you see the maroon honda accord moments before barrelling into pedestrians, mowing them down. authorities say this is the man who brought times square, one of the most heavily watched, guarded and surveilled places in the world to a total and horrific halt. hands out to his side, expression on his face snarling, the car he turned into a weapon and carnage behind him. the man, 26-year-old richard rojas, a u.s. citizen and former navy bret from the bronx told them he smoked something before plowing into a pack sometimes square. rojas told police he thought the world was coming the an end. in the immediate aftermath pedestrians helped police apprehend rojas and forced him to the ground. squirming and struggling in the cellphone video, police escort him into a

while all around unimaginable carnage. firefighters dousing the car, trying to put out the flames. >> we did get a very quick response from police officers on the scene, from fire units, people were treated and transported as quickly as possible. >> reporter: first responders scrambling to help nearly two dodds eninjured, ambulances taking them to nearby hospitals. 18-year-old alyssa elsman, visiting from michigan was hit, she did not survive. pandemonium in the streets, pedestrians in shock. annie donahay crossed the street when the car came down the sidewalk. >> first it was like a foot away from her and she was hit. >> reporter: and that was the woman who you were walking right next to? >> and then i started to cross the street. and 30 seconds later she was dead. >> reporter: and right there you can see the destroyed bumper of the car just a block away here on times square. one of the busiest spots in the country, now completely shut down.

jam packed area evacuated, leaving only police. rojas is in custody. initial drug tests have come back negative for alcohol and positive for drugs. right now police believe this was not terrorism but the suspect has been accused of violent behavior in the past. they are still investigating right now. gio benitez, new york. >> i was in that area a couple of hours ago and it seemed as if it was locked down. i want to take a look from our cameras at this early morning hours and you can see -- when's the last time you saw the cross world of the world looking like this? >> it is a rare scene that times square is empty, but security extremely heightened in the area right now, obviously for good reason. we will have much more from times square later on gma, and of course we will keep you updated on the investigation as we learn more about it. >> but we're going to move into the other big story. the white house in turmoil. president trump slamming the russian investigation, calling it the greatest political

>> during a joint press conference with the president of colombia, president trump repeatedly said he did not cooperate with russia and he also denies asking james comey to drop the fbi investigation into former national security adviser michael flynn. abc's maggie rulli has more. >> the entire thing has been a witch hunt. >> reporter: president trump speaking out for the first time since apointment of a special counsel to investigate russian meddling in the election and their possible solution with the trump campaign. >> there's no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but i can always speak for myself and the russians, zero. >> reporter: during a meeting with network anchors behind closed doors, the president also saying, i believe it hurts our country terribly, because it shows we're a divided, mixed up, not unified country. it also happens to be a pure excuse for the democrats, having lost an election that they should have easily won. i think it is a very, very negative thing, and hopefully this can go quickly. but on

to find a lawmaker who backs the president's assessment, even members of his own party. >> i think it is a serious investigation. >> reporter: is this a witch hunt? >> oh, i -- i think i'll not characterize what it is. >> reporter: as the man who appointed the special counsel to lead the russia investigation smiles for cameras. behind closed doors, deputy attorney general rod rosenstein briefs all 100 senators on why he decided a special counsel was necessary. >> he said to make sure that the integrity of the department of justice was protected, and to make certain the american people felt it was going to be handled fairly and justly. >> reporter: he was invited to the hill to discuss firing of former fbi director james comey, a position that still needs to be filled. maggie rulli, abc news washington. >> speaking of comey, president trump say also he is very close to naming a replacement for james comey. according to the president, former senator joe lieberman is a finalist for that job. the comment is getting strong

lieberman has no experience in federal law enforcement. >> and the white house is hoping to hit the reset button as president trump embarks on his first foreign trip today. the president is making five stops over eight days in the middle east and europe starting in saudi arabia. he is expect to address the fight against terrorism and israeli, palestinian peace. he will meet the pope and attend nato and g-7 summits. >> the stormy weather through the plains has produced more than a dozen tornados. look at this one. it is massive. it touched down in a rural area of southwest oklahoma and tore through northwest texas as well and south central kansas. wow. it went on for a while. the storms are also bringing heavy rains and hail along with some flash flooding. so far there have been no reports of injuries or major damage. forecasters say more potential dangerous weather on tap for today. woukt meteorologist justin joins us with the details. >> good morning to

is over the same area, stretching from kansas and missouri all the way south into texas along interstate 35, damaging winds, flooding downpours, large hail and tornados. the northeast turning cooler over the interior but still talking about 80s in boston and 90s from philadelphia heading into d.c. meanwhile, the snow continues over the rockies. highest terrain will be miss fisheruring it in feet. kendis, diane. >> justin, thanks. the last of four prominent statues honoring the confederacy comes down in new orleans. the city is removing a monument to general robert e. lee. pro the lee statue will come down during the day. an online auction site cashed in on remnants of the beatles day. >> it sold off pieces of their actual hair. strands from each of the fab four pulled

$10,000. >> they were apparently and swept up in march 1964 as the guys were filming a hard day's night. paul's hair brought in close to three grand. a french bidder took george and ringo at about $28900. >> and john came in at about 1400. so ringo didn't do that bat at 2900, you know. ringo got a little respect. >> how much did yours go for? >> i tried to give it away for charity and they refused it. >> they just went with strands. you went with the whole thing. >> it is the whole thing. >> you're so generous. >> by the way, i don't care how special anyone is. as soon as a piece of hair is not attached to a human body it is gross. >> is it weird? really? >> oh, hair? >> yeah. >> oo, all stuck in the shower drain. oo, i don't like it. >> don't really have a problem. >> i don't like it. >> i don't have a problem with it. >> all right. later this half hour

the brand-new polka. >> new developments in a deadly amtrak crash. prosecutors decided not to press charges against the engineer. why is he now behind bars. do your kids need a digital detox? see what one mother did to get her kids to unplug. remember to find us on facebook at wnnfans.com, we encourage your kids to find us on facebook and twitter @abcwnn. because your carpet never stops working there's resolve carpet care. with five times more benefits than vacuuming alone... it lifts more dirt, pet hair and removes odours. while softening every fibre because your carpet never stops working, resolve carpet care with five times benefits

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♪ this is new video of a high speed mother's day police chase involving a mother with her two kids in the car. police outside atlanta say they approached the woman after scanning his license plate and showing that her license was suspended. but she drove off, hitting speeds of 100 miles per hour according to police. they did finally catch up with her and at that point they discovered a four-year-old and a

baby inside. >> she was crying, holding her arms out for me. she was saying she wanted her mommy, so i had to pull my vehicle out of the roadway first and i got her into my arms. >> officers say neither child was wearing a seat restraint. the baby apparently slept through the whole thing. the kids were taken to a relative. the mother is now free on bond. four automakers reached a settlement to compensate car owners over defective air bag inflaters. toyota, bmw, mas dah and subaru agreed to pay $553 million to nearly 60 million vehicle owners. the airbags can explode with too much force. they have been linked to 16 deaths and nearly 200 injuries. a judge must approve the agreement before it goes forward. >> new developments in the deadly amtrak train crash two years ago out side philadelphia. the engineer at the controls is now behind bars facing criminal charges including eight count

>> reporter: was a family that pushed for criminal charges against the amtrak engineer. >> you're under arrest. >> reporter: brandon boston was at the controls outside philadelphia when his amtrak train derailed, traveling at more than 100 miles an hour when it hit a 50-mile-an-our corner. investigators concluded the engineer lost situational awareness. eight passengers were killed. prosecutors declined to charge bostian, but a private criminal complaint was ordered by a judge after pressure from that family. among the 200 injured, aaron and barbara levine. mr. levine's lunged were crushed, his recovery pain staking, and he awaited this day. >> they put handcuffs on him, that's appropriate. >> definitely. only took two years. >> ace prn cell is appropriate. >> reporter: he faces misdemeanor charges and one felony carrying a maximum of ten years in prison. his attorney calls the engineer

this deadly derailment. >> such a hosh situation. that derailment resulted in deaths of eight people. >> coming up in next half hour, the new details in the sudden death of former fox news chief roger ailes. what happens to remaining lawsuits against him. first, electronic screen syndrome. the growing problem among children and the radical idea of putting your kids on a digital detox next. my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. oral-b. brush like a pro.

♪ >> oh, yes, that number one hit, plug me in. a new study says teens spend an average of nearly seven hours day on their devices. >> some parents are saying enough is enough. check it out. abc's elizabeth vargas has more. >> what do y'all think you're doing. >> reporter: you are watching a covert mission in progress. >> sneaking. >> sneaking what? devices. >> reporter: five-year-old taylor and her brother eight-year-old jackson are desperate to play on their devices. >> guys, i told you only ten minutes of device time. >> reporter: they're mother autumn says the kids' use of electronics is out of control. >> i never get tired of my device. >> no, you can wait to check on your youtube. >> first thing out of

my device, what do i have to do, do i have to read, do i have to do this? definitely frustrated. >> reporter: there are meltdowns at home. >> i can't believe that i -- >> reporter: and on the go. >> all right. so here is jackson throwing a fit because he can't play with the game. >> reporter: is there some sort of test or experiment a parent can do to see if their child does have a problem with this? >> number one, it is negatively impacting their lives. is their schools, their academics to suffer, are they socially isolating. >> reporter: autumn says she has had enough. >> we have to find control. >> reporter: abc connects the family with child psychologist dr. victoria dunkly, author of the book "reset your child's brain y she coined a name for kid's obsession with devices, electronic screen syndrome. >> the child goes into a state of hyperarouse will and the brain starts to malfunction. so you see problems with

behavior and mood. >> jackson, it is hard for him to focus. i would say my daughter, she's more behavioral issues. >> reporter: dr. dunkly convinces the family to do a four-week electronic fast. >> and then we can see, do they still have attention symptoms, are they still misbehaving as much. >> what we're going to do is actually have no devices four four weeks and we're area going to see what happens. >> mom locks devices in storage, and as the days go by the kids start to try some new things. >> when the kids come home and they just go outside, which isn't something they had done before. >> reporter: and they join a class. >> well, me and taylor, we both joined jujutsu. >> reporter: at the end of the four week fast, everyone is spending more time together as a family. >> i like to play with my sister even more than i did before. >> reporter: jackson is spending more time reading.

meltdowns decreased and her attention span increased dramatically. >> it is easy to see when kids are too attached to their technology, but what is not so obvious is all of the other problems that can be related in terms of their mood, behavior and focus. >> reporter: as for the future of those devices -- >> there is a time and place for it. so we're trying to find that balance. >> i think we all have to be really careful that we realize that social media does not replace the social experience. >> reporter: elizabeth vargas, abc news, new york. they say they're going to continue to keep the electronics fast going as long as they can. they say-so far it has been going great. >> good. sounds like a great idea. >> and the kids have only asked for their devices twice. >> like -- >> i guess it is only limited to kids. >> share. >> seriously? >> what? did you say something? >> you're just going to -- i mean -- >> what? >> we're back on right

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♪ it is time now for the mix. as you can see, frank is in the house. >> frank is back. >> a very special animal-themed mix. and frank, as you know, is a rescue mutt. we very much promote the adoption of rescue animals. our first letter starts with a cat who needs a home. his name, utter -- >> come on, that's not nice. >> his name is mr. biggles. he is from a shelter in australia. they're going to write an honest adoption ad for him. so they say, he is a despot and a dictator. he will let you know he is not happy, which is often. his things are often just not up to his high standards. >> oh, he is a snob. >> he likes

terms, he will sit on your lap when he decides. if the stroking is not up to his standards, he will nip. >> you described every scat. >> unlike frank. frank wanted to be fet by anybody any time and fed scraps. then he is a happy camper. >> look at this. what do you think of this video, frank? >> do you think he knows there's a giant version there. >> look at that dog doing yoga, doing sittups. >> frank, come on, let's go, perform. >> frank, that's exciting stuff. do your sittups, come on. >> do it, do it. >> you can do it. bicycle? >> polka. >> from new york city's bryant park. >> the polka brothers. ♪ politics and boring wars ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ if you're an insomniac and a good news sleep you lack ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪

n and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ have some fun, be a pal ♪ every anchor guy and gal ♪ do the world new it polka >> it will be bouncy and jumpy so make sure you have relaxed knees. one and two, one and two. one and two. one and two. ♪ >> who cares what they think krem they're a goofy crew ♪ ♪ if your neighbors call a cop here's all you have to do ♪ ♪ when they yell it is half past 3:00 ♪ ♪ you can say that's the news to me ♪ ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift ♪ ♪ why not tune in to abc and join our little joke ♪ ♪ you'll know the weekend is here ♪ ♪'s the world news polka ♪ that's the world news polka. ♪

♪ this friday morning on "world news now," tornado outbreak. severe storms racing across the country. twisters spotted in a number of states and it is not over yet. president trump claires himse declares himself the victim of a witch hunt. he is blasting the special counsel appointed to investigate russia's interference in the election. new this half hour, presidential photo bomb. >> a reporter was doing her job at a baseball game when a certain someone decided to have a little fun. >> and willie nelson has a message for jeff sessions. smoke pot. >> huh? >> why the 84-year-old country music hall of famer is telling the attorney general, the nation's top cop, to grab a joint and toke up. that story ahead in the