this morning on "world news now," the white house acknowledging that president trump was personally involved in crafting his son's misleading statement on that controversial meeting with the russian lawyer after weeks of denials. and the close call for a commercial jet with more than 300 people on board. it actually passed through the same area where north korea tested its latest missile. see how close that plane came to disaster. and new this half hour. the parent of a young 12 year old girl who killed herself after relentless bullying now suing the school district that she attended. >> they're saying the school didn't do enough and ignored their pleas for help. and if it was even possible, the hype is growing. beyonc

empire into the sports world? what we're learning about beyonce looking to own part of a nba team? on this wednesday, august 2nd. from abc news, this is "world news now." sort of like our theme song as we walk on the set. ♪ who's in the world, girl ♪ dun, dun, dun, dun >> we're going to start with a stunning admission from the white house. it is true, though, that president trump played a direct role in writing that misleading statement by his son about the meeting with the russian lawyer. >> it follows weeks of denials from the president's legal team and is expected to come into scrutiny by the special counsel looking into meddling. here's abc's cecelia vega. >> reporter: in admission from the white house, president trump himself helped craft his

first statement about that infamous trump tower meeting with the russians. a statement that ultimately proved to be misleading. don jr. originally claimed that he and the russian lawyer discussed a program about the adoption of russian children and that it was not a campaign issue. but the story did not hold up. days later, e-mails revealed don jr. agreed to meet the russians because he had been promised dirt on hillary clinton. by the russian government. the president's team went on the offensive, saying he had nothing to do with don jr.'s original statement. >> the president did not draft the response. i do want to be clear. the president was not involved in the drafting of the statement and did not issue the statement. it came from donald trump jr. the statement that was released saturday was released by donald trump jr. and i'm sure in consultation with his lawyers. the president wasn't involved. >> reporter: we learned that's not true. sources tell abc news the president in fact crafted his son's statement himself, dictating it from air force one on the way bk

summit in germany. according to the "washington post," president trump blatantly ignored some in his circle who wanted that initial response to be truthful, more forthcoming. press secretary sarah sanders admitted the president was indeed involved. >> the president weighed in as any father would. based on the limited information he had. he didn't dictate, but like i said, he weighed in, offered suggestion like any father would do. >> reporter: after that initial statement, the story kept changing. don jr. said he hadn't met with any other russians. >> so as far as you know, as far as this incident's concerned, this is all of it. >> this is everything, this is everything. >> reporter: but it wasn't. we soon learned it wasn't just don jr., jared kushner and paul manafort in that meeting. the meeting first described as just five people ultimately had eight, including a russian lobbyist and a businessman. president trump now facing tough questions about whether he intentionally misl t

and a development at the fbi, the senate voting nearly unanimously to confirm president trump's pick for fbi director, christopher wray. he replaces james comey. who was fired by president trump amid the agency's investigation no russian lelection interference. wray testified during his confirmation hearing that he would resign if he was ever asked to do anything unethical or illegal by the president. cecelia vega, abc news, the white house. an explosive lawsuit against fox news alleges the white house conspired with the network to spread a false story about a democratic staffer all to distract from the russia probe. seth rich was killed last year during a botch robbery. but stories on fox suggest he was targeted for leaking hillary clinton's e-mails. rod wheeler is suing fox claiming he was falsely quoted as saying there was a link between rich and wikileaks. he said he and a donor met with

sean spicer. and that donor texted the investigator to say president trump signed off on the story before it was published. the article was later retracted. the white house denies any involvement. so president trump may feel like the accommodations at the white house with its 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms are not quite up to par. he reportedly told wealthy members of his new jersey golf club, quote, the white house is a real dump. according to golf magazine, that was the president's explanation for spending so much time at hess own properties. the white house denies the conversation. but former first daughter, chelsea clinton took offense, tweeting thank you to all the white house maids, chefs, butlers and workers. and north korea's launch of a ballistic missile, it turns out a commercial airliner had passed very close to the missile'

before last friday's launch. the news comes as secretary of state tillerson calls for dialog with north korea, adding the trump administration does not seek a collapse of the north korean regime. martha radatz has the latest. >> reporter: while north korea's test of an icbm that could someday hit most of the u.s. was sending shock waves around the world, the more immediate danger we are just learning was right in the area from where the missile was recklessly launched, in busy commercial airspace. as the missile was descending, flight data shows an air france 777 with 323 people on board, traveling from tokyo to paris, less than ten minutes after the plane passed northwest of okushiri island, the missile landed in the waters over which the plane had just flown. >> the crew of this plane had no idea they were in danger, because the missile was coming

in from outer space. if it had broken up in the air prior, it could have endangered a much broader area. >> reporter: major airlines say they constantly analyze potentially dangerous flyover zones and air france says the flight was operated without incident, but the pentagon says north korea's missile launches into busy airspace and heavily-traveled seas are done with no coordination. martha radatz, abc news, washington. and later this morning, an unarmed minuteman three is expected to launch from and were denburg air force base. it will be the fourth such test this year. at the san francisco airport, a teenager opened the emergency door and jumped onto the tarmac. the copa airlines flight had just arrived and was waiting to taxi when the incident occurred. the 17 year old boy was running on the tarmac when he was grabbed by construction workers on the airfield and later arrested by the police.

authorities say he is a u.s. citizen. and they're looking into that incident. two men were injured after a small plane crashed in phoenix. the pilot reported a mechanical problem shortly after departing from the airport. the pilot was heading back to deer valley when the plane crashed through a fence and lodged into a tree. only two passengers were aboard. no word on what caused the crash. a mother and father say their school district didn't do enough to stop the bullying that led to their daughter's suicide. they say rockaway township, new jersey school officials ignored repeated requests to help the sixth grader. malory took her own life in june. >> i would bring it to the school's attention, they would dismiss it. she would bring something it to my attention, i would bring it to the school's attention, they would dismiss it. >> for months, she was told, she's a loser. she had no friends. and finally, she was even told, why don't you kill yourself? >> the grossmans have

out suing the parents of the girls they say bullied their daughter many the school district is not commenting on the case. the dow opens this morning in record territory after setting a new, all-time high on tuesday. the dow adding 72 points to close at it 21,963, inching close to the 22,000 milestone. it is an a 48th record close since the november election and the 31st since president trump's inauguration. and we are going to show you what may be the best catch of the baseball season. >> absolutely. so it happened in boston, watch it right here. hanley ramirez hits it to center field, and that would be cleveland's austin jackson, who goes back, jumps, head first. makes the grab. >> good catch on both ends. way to catch the ball, and way to catch himself. >> exactly. >> wow. >> and he kept the ball. >> got to be proud of that one. >> that is amazing. try doing that again. >> yeah, right?

well, coming up, the discovery at a popular beach, what investigators are now saying after finding a woman who became separated from her family, buried in the sand. and later in "the skinny", baby got back is back. but with an odd new twist. let's take a look at the forecast first. ♪ ♪ i'm hooked "world news now," brought to you by the real real. ♪ my homeboys tried to warn me. real. ♪ my homeboys tried to warn me.

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ageless. you're looking at a bird's-eye view of a blinding dust storm moving over phoenix, arizona. the storm was fueled by a strong system that brought heavy rain, gusty winds and dangerous lightning to that region. >> it will be 103 in phoenix today but maybe even hotter in the pacific northwest, where record heat is now baking that region. temperatures are expected to top triple digits in some parts. an excessive heat warning is going to be in effect. through friday night.

today's expected to begin string of four consecutive days of 100-plus temperatures in oregon. in portland, oregon, could tie a record set in 1965 and reach possibly the mid-90s in the seattle area. the heat is not helping crews fighting this fire. in washington state. crews are dropping water onto the diamond creek fire to try to bring it under control. so far, it's about 10% contained. the fire has been burning for more than a week. crews are worried the excessive heat in the region could make things worse. police in ocean city, maryland are investigating after a 30-year-old texas woman was found dead on the beach. ashley o'connor was vacationing with her parents when show reportedly got separated from them around 2:00 a.m. roughly two hours later, her body was found buried in the sand with one arm exposed. it's possible she fell into a hole dug by other vacationers. >> we have a policy in ocean

city about holes in the sand because of danger the hole cannot be deeper than knee-deep. >> her death appears to be accidental, but nothing has been ruled out. >> and that's a very popular area for many people in d.c. to go on the weekend. not the sort of news anybody wants to hear in that area. >> no, definitely not. when we come back, baby got back unlike you've ever heard it before. trust. >> "the skinny"'s next . is scas left to rememb... what. she washed this like a month ago! the long lasting scent of gain. now available in matching scents

across your entire laundry routine. ♪ ♪ who'll run the world ♪ girls >> so bow down. shall we say? it is skinny time. and like many of "the skinny"s, we begin with beyonce. >> queen bey is looking to expand her empire.

>> it's not big enough. >> no, a world. reported to bloomberg, she is interested in buying her hometown's basketball team or at least a portion of it. >> no word yet on when the sale of the houston rockets is happening. but beyonce would likely be part of a group of investors involved in the deal. not a bad move, considering she already has an experienced adviser, you might say. >> that's right. her husband jay z owned a stake in the nets as they made their move from new jersey to brooklyn. before selling the team to start a sports agency. but that's not all. beyonce's also rumored to be in negotiations with our parent company, disney. >> this is not confirmed by abc, but the experts of all experts on the twitterverse say that beyonce could earn $25 million to play nala in the live-action remake of "the lion king." >> ooh, big time. >> that would be amazing. >> and i think they're about to

buy this multi, multi, multi-million do out in california. >> they need that. right. >> they have three kids. >> now that you have twins, you need a multi-million dollar mansion, how else will one live? next up, stunning photos of marilyn monroe going up for auction. they're from the hollywood icon's last photo shoot. with photographer george barris. they were taken in june of 1962, just weeks before her death. 55 years ago this month. >> can you believe that? the images were taken for cosmopolitan magazine and features the photographer's signature. each photo is expected to get between $8,000 and $24,000. the auction opens today at noon eastern time. it's amazing that we're still discovering new photos of marilyn monroe after all these years. >> and it's amazing after all these years her beauty is not dated at all. next, remember 25 years ago, the song of the summer? >> 25 years ago. >> i'm sure you have all of

those annong remind you that they know all the words still to that song. "baby got back." >> ooh, i know the words. >> furiously. ♪ you and the other brothers can't deny ♪ ♪ when a girl walks in ♪ you know in that boat we're stuck ♪ ♪ i'm hooked and i can't stop staring ♪ ♪ oh, ba-by ♪ ♪ and take your picture ♪ my homeboys tried to warn me >> there's a country version. >> wait, what? >> yeah, for reals. >> of "baby got back"? >> the video, that is our arkansas native. ♪ in your face >> it was always a country song.

joe nichols new music video there with his band. the big boss, sir mix-a-lot. nichols has been performing his rendition of the 1992 for fans live. he's releasing the studio version on his album "it never gets old." >> i'm still listening for the words. ♪ i like big butts ♪ and i can't deny >> 25 years ago. sir mix-a-lot's -- >> hmm, pretty good. >> i'm making a lot of money watching you play my song. >> carry on, carry on. >> he said 25 years ago he didn't know that would be a hit. >> remember it got banned and it became an even bigger hit. >> because of the pumps. and finally, the kiss-singer-look alike on a farm. gene simmons saw a picture of this. young cow and tweeted, this is real, folks, calf called jeanie on a texas ranch.

>> and he referred to himself in the third persono forget who he is on his own twitter account. >> he might be worried that the cow's trying to steal his identity. >> true, or he could say they're both worried about branding. >> you're on a roll today. >> no, that wasn't my writing. on a roll today. >> no, that wasn't my writing. ua medicare supplement insurance plan whenever you want. no enrollment window. no waiting to apply. that means now may be a great time to shop for an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. medicare doesn't cover everything. and like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, these help cover some of what medicare esn't pay. so don't wait. call now to request your free decision guide. it could help you find the aarp medicare supplement plan that works for you. these types of plans have no networks, so you get to choose any doctor who accepts medicare patients. rates are competitive, and they're the only plans

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go long. ♪ i'm too sexy for my shirt ♪ too sexy for my shirt ♪ so sexy it hurts >> it really does hurt. not sure of the correlation. if you are on social media, you have learned that cubans are popular, but so are their pets. even more so in some cases. >> than the people, right? i don't know what that's like. but it's not just always for fun. there is money to be made from those pets as well. here's abc's mara schiavocampo. >> reporter: move over, kardashians, you've got competition. they're called pet influencers. animals with big social media followings that partner with

brands to promote products. >> they tend to resonate better with consumers, they reach everyone. >> reporter: some pet owners making this a career, like lonnie edwards who left behind her law career to start the dog agency. a talent management firm for social media-famous pets. a move inspired by her own little super star, 4 year old khloe, the mini frenchy. what makes an animal connect with people? >> having a strong brand is of utmost importance. chloe, her themes are fashion, travel and food. >> reporter: she says all kinds of brands from makeup to vacuum cleaners are now seeing the value in animals with a large social media presence and reaching out to their owners. courtney dasher manages the accounts for tuna, her 7-year-old chiweenie full time. >> we get inundated with requests. from followers and businesses. it takes a lot of time to make

sure you're managing the account well. >> reporter: and the money is nothing to bark at. animals with followings in the thousands, like chloe and toast, of toast meets world fame, bring in anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 per sponsored post. pets with followings in the millions like tuna bring in $10,000 to $15,000 per post. jif, with 6.1 million followers and boo, the most-liked dog on facebook with over 17 million can also money off books, merchandise. commercials and personal appearances, netting six figures per year. >> all right, so what are we learning from this? i should not be at this desk, and be managing a social media account for frank. >> you have a star right there. >> oh, there we go. ooh, look at frank and his bunny swag. >> yes. >> modeling a hair towel it

looks like. >> the latest from bed bath and beyond, i think. >> he's better at modeling than i am.

>> look it at that eye. good smizi making news in america this morning, wicked weather. the dangerous heat for millions of americans. triple digits in cities that rarely experience these high temperatures and the lightning strike at an airport sending a man to the hospital. we have several developing stories out of washington. the white house now confirms the president's involvement in crafting his son's misleading statement about a meeting with a russian lawyer. also, the explosive lawsuit accusing the white house of coordinating with fox news to create fake news. plane passengers forced to sit on a hot tarmac for six hours with no water or air-conditioning. what the airline is aing this morning.