♪ 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

it is friday, may 19th. ♪ >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> something tells me jeff sessions is not going along with that plan. >> i don't think he is. i don't think -- he's like, that's all a ruse. we will get to that again in the skinny, but we want to talk about the developing story right now. million also of people are reeling from nearly a week full of nasty weather, battering much of the central u.s. >> and unfortunately much more to come. the radar shows stormy weather moving there the upper midwest, pounding the area with heavy rain, hail and wind. >> the system is producing tornados that touched down throughout the heart land. as many as 20 in texas, oklahoma and kansas. abc's rob marciano reports from the storm zone in oklahoma. >> we have another funnel coming down. >> reporter: the time to repair is over as storms fire up in the heartland. look at the storm. it is titanic. this is a serious

>> reporter: a rare forecast and a major severe weather outbreak on the way. >> look at all of the storm, the tornado is kicking up. >> reporter: strong damaging tornados and monster hail possible. a door nade owe doing damage here in oklahoma, produced by this thunderstorm. the leader edge is over us. you see the clouds, tells you how turbulent this atmosphere is. public schools in oklahoma city let out early ahead of the storms. it is the latest in a deadly multi-day outbreak. over three dozen report editor na tornados reported since thursday. winds gusting to 165 miles per hour with a 27 mile staff with this one outside of wichita. this time of year the systems move slowly, so not far from here eastern kansas, oklahoma and texas will have a severe weather threat all day friday. rob marciano, abc news, oklahoma. as a rule of those

watches and warning in effect for much of day. >> accuweather meteorologist justin pavas join us us with the forecast. >> good morning to you. severe weather returns to the south plain it and unfortunately more large hail reports, destructive wind reports and tornado possible along with flooding downpours, stretching from san antonio north and eastbound towards st. louis. a busy afternoon. the northeast, depending on where you are. the northwest portion of the northeast is cooler and windy. still hot along 95 from new york city to d.c., even boston into the 80s. notice there could be a couple of thunderstorms over the virginias. snow begins to wind down later on in the day, while the west is heating up. kendis, diane. >> things are heating up in the west, but still a little snow out there. thank you, justin. president trump is issuing one denial after another as he faces questions about russian interference in t

the president told reporters that the appointment of a special counsel hurts the country and shows that we're divided. he called the mounting allegations of collusion and obstruction ridiculous, shooting down explosive reports he tried to pressure james comey months before firing him. >> did you at any time urge former fbi director james comey in any way, shame or form to close or back down on the investigation into michael flynn and also as you look back -- >> no. no, next question. >> that blunt answer sets up a showdown with comey who reportedly took detailed notes on his conversations with the president. and earlier the president said in a tweet, the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in american history. that's what he called it. and congressman seth moultin fired back writing, as a representative of salem, mass chew et cetera, i can confirm that is false. breaking overnight, three people are injured after falling

it happened in washington state. a witness says one of the ferris wheel carts flop upside down ejecting three riders. authorities say a seven-year-old boy and two women were injured. one woman in critical condition. a driver plowing into a crowd of people in the middle of the day. taking a live look at the area, you can see the major roads through times square are still closed as police are working to beef up security. they've started mounting concrete barricades the try to secure that area. of course, we know it is a huge tourist attraction, so many people walking through there day and night. we will keep a close eye on it for you. but looking at the case, police say earlier in the day a navy veteran drove the wrong way down the street, then sped along the sidewalk for three blocks. according to police, 23 pedestrians were hit, including an 18-year-old tourist, alyssa elsman of michigan who was killed. police say the

is pictured there, tried to run by was tackled by a supervisor at a nearby planet hollywood. he spoke to abc's geo beneates. >> i ran toward him and tackled him. at this point an off duty police officer assisted me as well as two other passers by. and we subdued him, got him to the ground. we waited for the police to come and they showed up seconds later. >> reporter: you went over there and you tackled him, you stopped him? >> i stopped him. >> reporter: from doing anymore damage. >> that's correct. >> reporter: a lot of people are calling you a hero. >> i don't consider myself a hearing. i was doing something i hope people would do, trying to do the right thing. >> rojas told officers he was hearing voices and expect to die. the incident raised fears terrorism due to the recent vehicle attacks in europe. new york city's mayor says right now it is being treat as an isolated incident. a f

indicted the former tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping his student. tad cummings is charged with transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual obstruction of justice. they were found in california after a 30-day manhunt. fbi agents say cummings plan to take the teen to mexico. police in charleston, south carolina are searching for a unique suspect. a person in a dinosaur costume who apparently deliberately spooked carriage courses. police say the man or woman in the costume growled at the horses which startle willed them and then caused the carriage driver to fall into the street. the driver suffered minor injuries. no one else including the horses were injured, but a unique case. i'm sure the police there will have to solve -- >> thinking of the line-up again. the police line-up. >> with the -- any of these suspect cincinnati. >> the guy dressed in the barney

>> the game of thrones costume. >> all right. well, it is not every day you get photo bomb by a former leader of the free world. >> but george w. bush game and on camera shoutout during wednesday night's text ras rangers game literally shouting hey while sports reporter emily jones was giving a report from the stands. >> jones wrote on twitter, my most favorite photo bomb ever. i'd say. >> he went all out. he didn't just go with the fun facial expression. >> he's living -- that commentary there, just living life. >> he was managing partner of the team, the rangers, before he was president. she said she went up to him after and said, did you just photo bomb me? and he said, yep, i sure did. >> is the person behind him in the video, i just noticed, kind of looked like -- does he still get secret service protection? i think he does. kind of looked like secret service behind him in the sunglasses. >> yeah, of course. >> you think that's the security -- that's the guy? >> i don't know. >> i bet it

>> wow, very intuitive. >> investigative work there. >> nailed that one. >> thanks, jerry. thanks. still ahead, a school employee facing charges after video surfaces of his encounter with a student. >> police say it shows the employee lifting the student in the air by his neck. hear house his lawyer is defending what happened. >> later in the skinny, cher's admission. the surprising comments she made about some of her biggest hits. but first, a look at today's forecast. ♪ there's no talking to you ♪ you said that you're leaving ♪ takes time to believe it "world news now weather" brought to you by liberator medical supply. ♪ you're gonna be the lonely one ♪

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clearasil rapid action begins working fast for clearly visible results in as little as 12 hours. but will it stop this teen from being embarassed by her parents? nope. so let's be clear: clearasil works fast on teen acne, not so much on other teen ings. you know, wal-mart tells you to beware of falling prices, but a fulling buck? that's a first. i worked all day on that. >> wow. >> this happened at a wal-mart in minnesota. that is, indeed, a man pinning down a deer. the confused animal apparently wandered into the store

jumped on shopper there, tom grasswick. the young buck, he calmed it down, grasswick and other shoppers and then set it free. pauling prices, and since it is a buck -- >> bucks like it is a pun, a dollar and bucks. >> yeah, falling bucks. >> we got it. we just didn't laugh. >> didn't like it. okay. no. >> i'm sorry. i didn't hear you. >> crickets, uh-huh. >> school employee is now facing charges after surveillance video captured him lifting a student off the ground by his neck. the video shows the 13-year-old boy's feet dangling. the suspect is identified as joseph golden iii, a behavior specialist at rankin promise school. he is facing charges including endangering the welfare of the child and assault. the boy was not hurt. >> the death of rocker chris cornell was ruled a sue side. his body was found in his hotel room wednesday night after this concert in detroit where he was performing with sound garden, his group. in additiono

cornell also start a foundation to support children facing poverty and abuse. he is survived by his wife and his three children. >> and there's some new reaction this morning to the death of fox news founder roger ailes. >> former fox host bill o'reilly posted a podcast overnight calling him a visionary but saying hatred towards ailes brought him down in the end. >> reporter: new details in the sudden death of media titan roger ames. this police report from may 10th states ailes fell and hit his head in his palm beach mansion. then while in the hospital, ailes slimmed into a coma and died from internal bleeding. the news of ailes' death even taking his former employees by surprise. >> 20 minutes before the top of the hour, the drudge report has a story right now, and this is a fox news alert, that roger ailes, one of the founders of the fox news channel, has died. >> reporter: the architect of fox news, he was at bombastic and he was controversial. >> we came up with we rert

>> reporter: but last year ailes was the headline, forced to resign after accusations of sexual misconduct and racial discrimination at the network. he was a powerful force, shaping american politic goes and the media. hills former colleagues paid tribute on air. >> he was a presence and he will be missed on this channel. he will be missed. >> reporter: roger ailes' wife said he died surrounded by family. she called him a patriot. he was 77 years old. next, the revelation from cher. what she is saying about her own music. >> the skinny is next. own music. >> the skinny is next. kills 99.9% of bacteria, disinfecty even those that cause stomach bugs. one more way you've got what it takes to protect. ...have you tried the tissue test? question, are my teeth yellow? ugh, yellow... what do you use? crest whitestrips

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♪ skinny ♪ so skinny >> stunning revel

the skinny, from one person known as cher. >> that's right. do you believe -- ♪ >> do you believe -- >> she's not a fan of her own music. >> what? >> let's review for a second. so her career stretches back to the early '60s. she has won an akald my award, a grammy, an emmy, three golden globes and best actress award. >> snap out of it. this weekend, the day after she turned 71 years old, cher is being honored with icon award at this year's billboard awards. >> however, in an interview with billboard magazine she says her own songs aren't her favorite, especially her early hits that made her a star like half breed and gypsies, tramps and thieves. >> she went on to say she doesn't like getting old and she thought at this age she would be dead. >> this it mark her first award peor

opened by -- ♪ >> nicki minaj. >> i hope this is the pg version of the song. >> the whole thing is going down here on abc, you don't want to miss it. i'm guessing cher won't sing those songs. however i hope she sings a little if i could turn back time. >> if i could turn back time sneet if i could turn back time ♪ >> a little will and grace love there. >> i have never agreed with cher more. >> do you believe in love -- what about the echo. no, still nothing? look, it made you happy. what's not to love. >> yeah, come on. >> i agree with her. i'm with you, cher. >> our floor manager is losing it right now with laughter. >> sunday night, abc. >> next to another major event playing out this weekend. >> we're hearing new

aunt. pippa middleton, sister of duchess kate is getting married to 40-year-old hedge fund manager james. among those guests that will be there, her wedding itself will be scottish themed, complete with a bagpiper and is estimated to cost more than $428,000. >> what! >> yeah. >> if you're wondering how one gets a bill like that, one thing is this $130,000 glass conservatory which was erected on the grounds of the family home. it will comfortably house all 300 guests. >> okay. so the guests will eat $52,000 worth of beluga caviar donated by an anonymous russian benefactor. >> okay. royal niece princess charlotte will serve as bridesmaid and

>> pippa has reportedly personally vetted all of the wait staff, forcing them to sign confidentiality agreements and surrendering their phones on site. >> understandable. >> back here at home, willie nelson had worse for jeff sessions. >> the attorney general said marijuana is slightly less awful than hair wayne. >> the 84-year-old country music star is a long time advocate of the weed. he told rolling stone, i wonder if he has tried both of them. i don't think you can make a statement like that unless you are tried it all. >> meaning heroin and mother wayne ah? >> exactly. >> okay. nelson went on to say, okay, i would like to suggest to jeff to try it and let me know later if he still thinks he is telling the truth as far as compare ton between the two drugs. >> so far jeff sessions has not

that's really weird. the next song will be heroin and marijuana. >> i'm going to guess he's not going to take that advice. >> probably not. >> i'm going to going to take that advice. >> probably not.

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♪ it was exhausting this week. it felt like a year, didn't it? >> yeah. >> at 5:00 p.m. every day this week, there were huge breaking news stories. >> but we still found some time to indulge some fun and some food. >> was it food? >> here now our weekly friday rewind. >> "the washington post" reporting that president trump disclosed highly classified information to the russians. >> according to the post, the classified information about an isis plot in syria was given to the u.s. by a partner, and is so sensitive that not even allies have access to it. >> but national security adviser h.r. mcmaster is denying the report. >> the story that came out tonight as reported is false. >> new clues in that massive

cyberattack. was north korea behind the hack? hitting 150 countries and more than 300,000 computers. >> it could be someone else using north korean code researchers say, but the country has ha long record of computer criminality. >> we begin this half hour with president trump accused of trying to interfere with a federal investigation and there appears to be a paper trail. >> abc news confirming shortly after an oval office visit in february, former fbi director james comey wrote a memo saying during that meeting president trump asked him to shut down his investigation into national skurlt adviser michael flynn, but the white house is pushing back, saying the president has never asked mr. comey or anyone else to end any investigation. >> look at the way i've been treated lately. especially by the media. >> a bombshell announcement. the department of justice appointing a special counsel to take over the investigation into russia's interference with

2016 election. the man now leading the investigation, former fbi director robert mueller. >> killed by caffeine. a 16-year-old child dead after drinking a mcdonald's latte, large mountain dew and an energy drink. >> the nuclear scientist breaking her silence about the firestorm about what she said on the pageant stage about health care and feminism. >> i'm going to own what i said. i am privileged to have health care and i believe it should be a right. i hope and pray moving forward health care is a right for all worldwide. >> you're doing the next segment. >> don't be silly. >> shouldn't you be getting ready -- >> he is so funny. >> it looks delicious. >> food for everybody. >> thank you. i like to share. >> you know what wednesday is? >> no i have no idea. what are you doing with poor frank? >> he likes playing in paper bags. it is national brown bag it day. see. >> you know, it has nothing -- that's not what it thoos do with. >> it is a brown bag and he

making news in america this morning, president trump makes a direct denial about his conversations with the fired director of the fbi while calling the firestorm that's engulfed his administration a witchhunt as investigations move forward, the president leaves today on his first foreign trip. we're live in washington. happening now a tornado outbreak across the middle of the country. monster storms spinning in several states. more dangerous weather expected today. security is very tight in new york's times square this morning. concrete barricades have been moved into place overnight after a deadly incident, a car plowing into pedestrians. the driver is now facing serious charges. a subway save after a woman is caught on camera falling onto the tracks. this as the rush hour train barrels towards her.