60-year-old lee welch pleaded guilty to the murder of sheila lyon and her tenure at sister catherine. >> we just want to say thank you. it has been a long time and we are tired. we just want to go home. lyonrch 25, 1975, the sisters disappeared after a trip to the wheaton mall. authorities had no answers until 2014 when montgomery county police cold case investigators connected lloyd welch to the crime. time, who was 18 at the today offered a guilty plea in which he admitted to of ducting sistersabducting the from the mall, and later burning their bodies. welch claimed that others were responsible for raping and killing the young girls. >> there is no credible evidence that i am aware of that suggests that mr. welch was the perpetrator of the murder.

questioning. hisrosecutors had named uncle richard a person of interest. at this point, they do not plan to bring charges against anyone else. >> there were a lot of inconsistencies throughout his statements that has made it difficult to proceed against any others. is currently serving prison time in delaware for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in 1998. when that sentence is completed, he will be transferred to virginia to begin serving the 48-year sentence in the lyon sisters case. tosecutors expect welch spend the rest of his life in prison. >> tomorrow on good morning the state's attorney will join us to talk about getting that closure after so many

>> the storm's remnants are -- officials estimate that about one quarter of the homes in the florida keys were destroyed in the florida keys. president trump is planning to visit florida on thursday. >> this american airlines flight was the first one to touch down in fort lauderdale this morning. airports across the southeast are working to get back to normal operations. our maryland bureau chief flew out of one of them after spending many days covering the storm. he filed this report before he left. >> today is a day people are trying to come home and others are trying to get out. this was a big one. this gas station closed down. this entire neighborhood has no electricity.

the intersection is coned off. at the airport, a travel nigh tmare. that is the announcement that so many in the airports across florida are hoping to hear. as temporaaiting international airport slowly returns to full operations. the runways are unusually quiet. gates for many are still empty. the last flight out before today left saturday. the airport reopened this morning, but many ticket counters remain dark. >> our original flight was supposed to leave sunday. our flight was canceled twice and we are now here on tuesday. >> stressed out. tons of anxiety. and glad everyone is safe and nothing bad happened to the

like this. this convenience store is closed, locked up. even though the storm is not severe, this building is standing. there is much pain remaining in florida. >> watch as this suv slams to a halt as the tree falls right in its path in georgia. april baxter was driving that. she had the brakes and started -- iming when she saw that thought this is the end, i am done. >> they say she was driving about 40 miles an hour. >> what we have will be very incidental with a chance for a few showers in the morning. one of the things we have to look at is the cloud cover. we had a

now we have clouds and sunshine. there will be a little bit better chance on thursday. she will warm up son and maybe there will -- some, and maybe there will be a chance for showers than. for the afternoon, the sun is out. good weather at the park for the first pitch of the nats game. 70 for first pitch, staying in the 60's overnight, and waking up in the 70's. warmer winds coming out of the east and southeast. i think you'll like this weekend forecast. >> this just in, the woman who brought forth a supreme course has passedy marriage away. it if windsor sued the government over the defense of marriage act after her wife passed away.

huge estate tax bill. her case became the basis and eventually change the course of gay marriage in america. >> maryland is suing the trump administration over daca. the state joined three others in challenging the president's decision to end the deferred action. 15 other states and d.c. filed a similar lawsuit last week. >> if you come for dreamers, we are coming for your jobs. >> meanwhile, daca supporters gathered outside the capital. they want congress to pass a law protecting the dreamers. the president said that congress has six months to act before he ends the program. >> hicks is the third person to fill the role since january. she served on an interim basis since july. at 28, she is the youngest

house history. >> students are trying to search for a missing teacher from montgomery county. amy aubert is live in columbia where a group is expected together tonight. likeu will notice flyers this one posted all across columbia. look at this one right over here. police tell me that that car is at an indoor facility and they are combing through it to see if they can find anything. let's go right to the video today. you can see there are notes, pictures, and flowers left at the home of the teacher. they started passing out the flyers this weekend. they tell me they will not stop until she is found. here is what we know. police telling me they are working around the clock and are continng

tonight. they are looking at this as a missing persons cases. they say they are checking all of these efforts but are not labeling anything differently. they said they have an number of tips but still need more. when i asked if they had any following the news conference, they declined to comment. a $25,000 is offering reward for information that leads to her coming home. this is laura. she is four months pregnant. police are asking anyone with any information to contact them. >> now developing at stafford county, police are searching for the man that you see right here. they believe that he played a role in a scheme to steal thousands of dollars from unsuspecting customers. a skimmer was placed on the atm and a bb&t bank in stafford county.

everyone's card information. >> $1000. $500. >> how are you feeling? >> i just had a little bit in and he took it all. >> if you used that bank, you may want to monitor your accounts. the bank told affected customers it will take up to a week to get their money back. >> an outpouring of support for the family members who survived the car being hit by a food truck. richard reeve is live to explain what the neighbors are doing. rich: this is the story of a new coming together, uniting behind a family that has lost so much. he is pitching in to make this house ready for the homecoming of love.

call it a labor of love, after a terrible loss. >> it is tragic to hear him a when they are so young, a parent passing. it tugs at everybody's heartstrings. erin was a loving mother of three. just before 5:00 last friday, the driver of a bus converted to a food truck ran a stop sign. the truck struck their station wagon. erin kablan behind the wheel. the children and grandmother suffered injuries, but erin was killed. >> she was a great mother. her kids were first. she is a great person. >> all three children, and 12 grade boy, eighth-grade girl, sixth-grade girl, and a grandmother are in the hospital. neighbors are pitching in, setting up ramps in the bedroom and ground floor t

>> they have been working for the past few days. i think they are trying to make the home handicap-accessible. >> walking in the house, you look everywhere and there is erin. the moments that they have spent together. rich: you can see the folks there. they have been working nonstop. erin remembered as an amazing mom. they have a gofundme account for expenses. they have already raised about $67,000 in a couple days. this behind me is love. >> thank you so much. is under arrest after police say he left onedren unsupervised and and it up with a gunshot wound. police say that three kids were alone in the car when a 2-year-old found a gun and shot a for

police later found isaiah davis and arrested him. thisat was missing in in-home daycare that could have saved the life of a 2-year-old. >> what the ntsb says about this deadly crash with a self-driving car and the new regulation from the government today. side.s walk on the wild >> and the countdown is on for a long-awaited development project. what has to be done, and what you need to know before it opens. >> a lot of people trying to get back to florida. we want to show you a live look at i-95. our satellite truck drives the other way, back from florida. they just crossed into georgia a few minutes ago. the road is looking pretty empty. your brain is an amazing thing. but as you get older, it naturally begins to change,

ven trouble with recall. thankfully, the breakthrough in prevagen helps your brain and actually improves memory. the secret is an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. the name to remember.

>> governor larry hogan is asking the state's attorney general to sue the faa> he wants them to abandon new flight routes that have caused a significant increase in noise pollution. the

faa implemented new flight pepsin 2014. a spokesman -- new flight paths in 2014. this book since as the faa -- says he has been considering a lawsuit for a long time. >> we go live to southwest where there are concerns about how you can get to the wharf. >> if you know this area, you knmow main avenue can get very congested. we are standing at the neuvirth development, just up the way from the mall. -- at the new wharf development, just up the way from the mall. along the southwest waterfront, the countdown is one with 30 days until the wharf is open to the public. >> everybody is rowing in the same direction.

drive. it is a herculean task. activity yet to be completed before the condos, andotels, entertainment venues open october 12. >> it makes the whole area look different. >> if you have been here, you know about the congestion in and around maine avenue. no direct walking or biking path between the national mall and the wharf. instead people hike upa nd down -- up and down this steep hill. >> it can be an ordeal. >> next month, work will begin on a new stairway and a new bike lane around been a carpark -- banakirk park. >> it will definitely be an improvement. >> when

development opened october 12, there will be other options besides just walking and biking. the free shuttle bus to the metro station, underground parking, and water taxis connecting here to the wharf. weather-wise, it is pretty gorgeous. doug: yesterday we had the high cloudiness directly coming out of the exhaust clouds. today, there have been breaks in the sunshine too. just a few showers in the morning, and a better chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm thursday. the weekend looks great. we will give you time lapses from the camera. some clouds, a few breaks of blue this morning. kind of cloudy for a bit. that will be the story through a good portion of tomorrow. this is based on some of the bands coming up th

quantico, 73 in gaithersburg. college park stands at 74 degrees. some high clouds and sunshine. we will see the temperatures hold for a couple more hours and dropped into the 60's overnight. now, as far as the satellite and radar, the sun angle is gettin glower, so they are not as bright. you can see a band of abandoned showers, but there are more batches of close to the south. this is where we think the clouds from source carolina may come into the area in the early morning hours. we are back to the sunshine. futurecast captures this. some bands of showers may make it north. there is so much try air around -- dry air around.

showers into thursday. thursday afternoon, our best shot goes this way. we will have southerly wind with sunshine and warmer temperatures. nothing to spark the regular summertime thunderstorm. our three-day outlook calls for showers in the morning. a little better chance of showers. rumbles of thunder thursday. the weekend looks terrific. a quick word on the remnants of irma, way off to the west. it is pretty much a done deal. loopis making its loop to loop.pdy -- we will see plenty of sunshine through the afternoon after a chance of morning showers and thunderstorm possibilities into monday and thursday. plenty of sunshine in the lower

give us a shower before it turns clear. comfortable for the middle and end of next week. >> still to come, the magic eight ball. we should be able to figure out if it should be in the hall of fame, right? >> it should know. a look at the other nominees and the latest offerings from apple's they can announcement. >>. -- big announcement. >> here is a look at what is coming up tonight. joined us at 8:00 for the benefit for hurricane relief. >> at 9:00, a double dose of "blackish," followed by somewhere in between and the news at 11:00.

do your holiday shopping on thisus.ason introducing the monumental gift shop at mgm national harbor. just use your m life rewards card when you play now through november 7. the more you play, the more gift bucks you'll earn to redeem for monumental gifts like jewelry and electronics. come in today and play to earn your private shopping event for the holidays. play to win. win to shop. the monumental gift shop at mgm national harbor. now through november 7. this is monumental. ralpand i sponsoredralph northam, canthis adfor governor narrator: ed gillespie says dr. ralph northam doesn't show up? dr. ralph northam was an army doctor and a volunteer medical director at a children's hospice. he passed the virginia law requiring concussion standards for school sports. the smoking ban in restaurants. and dr. northam is working to connect veterans to good paying jobs in virginia.

corporate lobbyist. he shows up for whoever pays him. >> moments ago this capsule blasted off, bound for the international space station. included are the three crew members, including one from falls church. dockapsule is set to with the station tomorrow. >> seven is on your side with a consumer alert as apple ends with not one, not two, but three new iphones.

the new spaceship headquarters in california. >> the wait is finally over for iphone fans. apple first unveiling the new apple iphone eight and iphone 8 plus with new glass body designs and features including portrait lighting. >> these are not filters. this is real-time analysis of the light on your subject's face. sensorsll as new motion to support apps for augmented reality. >> you can use ar kit to superimpose the map on the sky as you look at it around your. >> changing the experience for gamers. >> it is like, you're not just controlling the game, you are in the game. >> apple also introducing wireless charging. the price tag with no big surprises here. $699,hone 8 starting at the plus at $799. th

iphone,nniversary marking 10 years since the iphone was introduced. apple released the iphone x, priced at $999 with a new edge to edge screen, animated emojis that mimic the user's face, and gone is the home button. >> your iphone is locked until you look at it and it recognizes you. >> the apple tv and apple watch got new updates. preorder start next week. for the iphone 8. the iphone x starts next month. >> the national toy hall of fame is out for finalists -- is out with a list of finalists. we will give you a clue, there is not a lot of risk in the options. the paper airplane, sand, play food, matchbox cars, my little pony,

wiffleball, and the magic eight ball. two or three winners will be introduced in november. >> sand? >> i got that as a gag gift here two years ago for christmas. it is a little jar of sand. you just play with it. [laughter] >> maybe it will win. still ahead at 5:00, why london is declaring war on this blocked pipe under the city streets. larry: a quick decision from a judge in a hazing incident. the amtrak engineer facing charges in this deadly crash. >> this device is designed to save lives and it is required. too many people don'

>> tonight a single violation that could have saved the life of a 2-year-old who died in this backyard pool right here on monday. we'll go to maryland with new information about this item that might have made all the difference.

from investigators that this in home daycare did not have one of these, a door alarm. if that home had had one of these when the 2-year-old boy opened the door to venture out to the pool the operator would have heard this. [alarm] a licensed, long-time daycare provider stepped away for just seconds, but it was enough time for one of the three small children in her care to open a door and slip out. >> makes me sick. it's really sad. reporter: the 2-year-old boy wandered on to a wood deck, plunged into an above ground pool, and drowned. in charles county, alarms like this are required for any door which opens on to a pool. but investigators tell us the home daycare did not have one. >> it's reasonably priced. it would have saved a life.

which sells accessories the staff stresses the importance of alarms on gates and doors which open to pools. >> very important. very pool should have one. stephen: now, this is the alarm that we demonstrated a moment ago. this one costs about $42 but you can actually get them for even less. reporting live, stephen tschida, abc 7 news. larry: thank you for that. let's get back down south. after irma cars starting to line up to make their way back into florida. a live picture right now along interstate 95 about 40 miles north of the florida/georgia border our crew is heading north. we showed you pictures a few moments ago. traffic is beginning to pick up and building up as it heads southbound on i-95. our crew in the satellite truck is telling us state police and the national guard are blocking all the exits they've seen in georgia so far. there are poplar areas there, just a few miles east of the interstate g

savannah as well to the northern part of the stretch. working right now to find out why they're doing that and will let you know as soon as we learn something. irma tore through bermuda and the carolinas and what if your dream journey turns into a nightmare scenario? scott: well, this is hurricane season, so two words of advice for everybody. travel insurance. if you don't have it, you better have a very understanding airline hotel or cruise company that's willing to help. irma put a huge den in the girls' weekend for felicia gilbert and two friends who traveled, hoping irma would shift away from island. it didn't. >> we saw crews of people coming in with sand bags sort of removing all types of furniture and chairs and things that could, you know, be knocked over or get caught up in the wind

>> george hopok is the founder of the travel website air fare watch.com and says avoid travel during hurricane season. if you must, purchase travel insurance. a good place to shop for it and plan, share my trip.com or travel insurance.com. i do not buy travel insurance directly from your airline or your cruise company. i would buy it through a third party. scott: here are some tips. airlines offer free flight changes during severe weather. use flight aware.com to check on connecting flights. use airline apps and websites to rebook your own flights. bookmark travel alert pages offered by airlines and cruises. >> obviously it's kind of a gamble to take and if we diane come we'd have lost all our money. maybe that would have been the smarter thing to do.

scoip one right you do have, if your flight is canceled or layed during severe weather, you have the right to a full refund even a nonrefundable ticket. scott taylor, abc 7 news. larry: officials in florida just raised the death toll from irma in that state from seven to 12. that brings the total number of people killed in the hurricane to 55. >> as you think about ways maybe you can help in the wake of hurricanes irma and harvey, consider this. the endocrine society says there is an emergency shortage of insulin after the storms so the group is partnering with the american diabetes association and juvenile diabetes research fund to get the life saving medication to all of those who need it. larry: 7 is on your side with health matters tonight. there are new guidelines for women when checking for cervical cancer. the recently released guidelines suggest women between the ages of 30 and 65 may not have to get a pap smr.

determine if they have a cancer causing virus. most u.s. medical groups have yet to push h.v.p. tests as a stand alone alternative for screening. >> family, friends, co-workers, and colleagues paid their respects to long-time d.c. news anchor jim vance this morning. the pews of washington national cathedral were filled as loved ones shared story after story. those who couldn't attend atched online. >> up over 25 million views now. [laughter] >> and still going strong. i know you would get a kick out of that. and, vance, i like to think that you're enjoying a laugh like that every day right now. jim became our anchor man. he was a member of our extended family. for some he was a father figure. for those who didn't have fathers in their lives.

brief battle with cancer. he was 75 years old. larry: the creator of "hamilton" is on capitol hill tonight. >> we'll tell you why lynn miranda is being honored in the rotunda. >> with so much to accomplish here on capitol hill, how is congress getting along these days? we went in search of bipartisanship. that story coming up next. >> and ahead at 6:00 a proposal slips through the cracks. what happened when this groom-to-be dropped the ball by dropping the ring?

>> the weekend is almost here and we're going to start you off mid week thursday and friday, by thursday looking for a better chance of a few showers and thunderstorms from the charles county fair over in la plata. saturday and sunday looks really nice around 83 degrees. ni

don't forget old town alexandria this weekend. one of my favorite events. the art festival. 83 degrees both saturday and sunday. looking good. get there early on saturday. starts at 10:00. the same on sunday. ends at 5:00 p.m. fun for the whole family and a lot of great art to look at and to buy. stay with us. you're watching abc 7 news at 5:00

born and raised incian, dr. rrural virginia went to vmi. trained at johns hopkins. an army doctor who treated soldiers seriously wounded in the gulf war. eighteen years as volunteer medical director of a children's hospice. as lt. governor, he's fighting to expand healthcare in virginia. he'll get it done as governor. ralph northam: i'm ralph northam, and we need to provide access to affordable healthcare for all virginians, not take it away.

>> new developments in the deadly 2015 amtrak crash in philadelphia a judge dismissing criminal charges against brandon bostian the engineer of the train. the judge said there is not enough evidence to allow the case. eight people died when the washington to new york train went off the tracks. federal investigators concluded bostian became distracted. >> last year's deadly crash involving a self-driving tesla vehicle is the fault of the driver. the national transportation safety board says the driver of the tesla was over reliant on the car's system and they also blame the driver of the truck the car crashed into for making a left turn in front of that car. the crash was the first known fatal collision involving a self-driving car. larry: those new findings come as the government announced new guidelines for self-driving vehicles and auto makers are asked to follow a 12-point voluntary assessment instead of the 15-point assessment issued by the obama administrat

consider ethical or privacy issues. also included in the guidelines now the federal government determines whether self-driving cars are safe, taking that power away from the states. >> there were times i just had thoughts like what would happen if i had just been gone? >> the road to recovery and how a competitive spirit has helped this remarkable young woman carry on after losing her leg while serving her country. > neighbors around the old walter reed army hospital say they're overrun by critters since the demolition

>> the former site of walter reed national military medical center has gone wild. as d.c. bureau chief sam ford explains some neighbors say animals living on the long dormant complex are fleeing now to the surrounding neighborhood. >> one of my neighbors said, oh, i just wanted to tell you i saw a buck and two deer on your, coming down your stairs, as if they belonged there.

highland street northwest for decades say since demolition began recently on georgia avenue they've been overrun with critters. >> just coming in and this is what he found. sam: gone are tomatoes, flowers. they see racoons playing on the roofs of houses. >> three hanging out screaming. i thought it was a child. sam: derek stevenson says he is tired of it. >> we've seen the deer walking up the main street here. sam: when they complained to city officials councilmember brandon todd's office sent this letter saying that in d.c. wild animals are federal h i protected and cannot be removed, relocated, injured, or killed in their natural habitat. he said they suggested repellents. >> ammonia out here to discourage the deer. even urine and that would also discourage the deer or animals away.

sam: he didn't know from what animal. long-time activists say it's been a big issue at neighborhood meetings. as for racoons, deer --. >> if you see a deer, scare him away. sam: on highland street they want the city to do something. in northwest washington, sam ford, abc 7 news. larry: a zoo in pennsylvania had an issue of their own this weekend after a bobcat broke loose from its enclosure. visitors at the lehigh valley zoo were toll to take shelter as officials tracked it down. it broke loose by scratching a hole between a fence and a tree. the bobcat didn't make it more than 50 feet before it was captured by handlers. larry: the city of london has a problem on its hands. a 130 ton problem. nancy: this is a gross one. take a look. a giant mass of wet wipes, diapers, fats, and oils. blocking a sewer tunnel. this is right near the tower of

london. it's been dubbed a fat berg. crews say it is going to take three weeks to dissolve it. workers are using high powered jet hoses to try to break up the blob. we hear about the wipes all the time and diapers, too. but oh, that's terrible. larry: how long it's been there and how long it will take. >> the poor people working on dissolving that. larry: you can't smell it. it looks bad but imagine the odor. good luck. >> all right. back here at home, on the hill in just about 15 minutes, lynn manuel miranda will be honored by the u.s. capitol historical society. he is the creator of "hamilton" and is getting the 2017 freedom award for his work on that show and the hamilton educational program. that ceremony is in the capitol rotunda at 6:00. i'll try to get over there in the next 10 minutes. he's my favorite. larry: you should. well, j.j. abrams is heading back to the helm for the ninth movie in the original "star wars"

would be the only film directed in the franchise and he's back on board. disney said it is pushing back the release date until december of 2019. alison: the end of an era here on abc 7 on 7 as our friend and chief meteorologist doug hill will retire after 30 years in washington, d.c. all this week we have well wishes from around the city. >> i was so sad but also happy for you when i heard you were retiring. i am truly going to miss seeing you on the air with your amazing gift of bringing the forecast down to earth so people understand it. we go way back and i can prove it. check out this picture of your weather colleagues from the early 1990's gathering for a meeting at the national weather service. no one has the same hair color. what happened to us? doug, you belong on the mount rushmore of washington weather. i want to congratulate you on your wonderful career and my wish for you is to sit back and relax with your favorite beverage the very first time it snows this winter. have a lau

you've worked hard and earned it. i'm really going to miss you. alison: so nice. doug: i'll take her up on the first thing she wants me to do for sure. alison: bob ryan said the same thing. that is the best part of retirement. doug: i haven't been home since 1978 for any snowstorms. one snowstorm about 15 years ago here at channel 7 i had the idea i would cover it from my house. that didn't go over too well. i was told that would never happen again. i look forward to the first storm where you sit and say, look. it's snowing. don't have to worry about it. alison: exactly. you've earned it. doug: appreciate the sentiments and kind wishes. let's talk about the weather. we were talking about the cloud cover outside. yesterday we had the steady overcast, the cirrus clouds out of the circulation of irma. it's pretty ragged looking. not much. a lot more blue sky out there. i think the effects will be minimal. maybe a couple showers in spots tomorrow morning. and afternoon. and maybe an isolated shower,

that will be that with this system. temperatures now very comfortable. 78 in washington. 7 please in warranton. winchester 72. 74 baltimore. 79 in frederick. temperatures will inch into the lower 80's over the next few days. 70 degrees first pitch tonight. the braves in town. and weather will be just fine. perfect night at the ballpark. very comfortable conditions. once we get through our future cast you'll see the rain chances very widely scattered through the morning but then through day kind of cloudy. then maybe some breaks in the overcast in the afternoon. thursday, a little better chance of scattered showers as the remnant of irma passes well to our north and west. friday looks great. becoming sunny and 74. check out this weekend. it is nice. 70's, 80's, and sunshine all across the region. that is the very latest. now your turn. let's talk sports. >> let's do it, doug. thank you. a soldier is severely hurt in afghanistan and is making a comeback through adaptive sports. scott abraham introduces us to wounded warrior in today's

>> army specialist stephany morris is what you call a fighter. >> i've always been competitive, whether sports or anything else. i'm just a competitive person and i like competing. >> in june, 2013 she was severely injured in afghanistan. the incident left four other members of her unit dead. the 27-year-old would eventually have a right leg amputated. >> there were times i just had thoughts like what would have happened if i would have just been gone? like my life would have been a lot easier. scott: she now spends her days at walter reed embracing her new normal. training in a variety of sports, competing in the warrior and invictus games. >> now that i have found adaptive sports, as my mom would put it you can just see me excited and smile all over again. scott: during her recovery specialist moore said she utilized the army's warrior care transition program. over the last 10 years it has helped

soldiers rehab, recover, and transition is what it's all about. >> look at things from a pretty bleak position. but they're resilient and we try to support them as best we can to get them back to the point where they can look at things and say, hey. i can do it. scott: stephanie is taking the can do attitude and trying to become a nurse and paralympic athlete. >> yes, i am an amputee and i have injuries, but if i want something i go for it. scott: get out of the way. stephanie morris is heading to the top. i'm scott abraham with our "rising star." >> great stuff. do you know someone in the d.m.v. who is overcoming adversity to excel in the athletic arena? we want to hear from you. shoot us an e-mail, rising star@wjla.com. that person could be featured in an upcoming story. larry: she is so impressive. i do that balancing thing. that is really hard and she's doing it. >> it's awesome. so proud of her.

>> thanks. larry: today marks one week since lawmakers went back on the hill. alison: when we come back a look at th

larry: tonight the president hopes he can get members of both parties to break bread literally and will host a dinner with three republican senators and three democrats in an effort to agree upon a new tax reform plan. our chief political correspondent takes a look at whether there is truly any potential for bipartisanship these days. reporter: in a city that is so often split and saddled with an "us vs. them" mentality --. >> the senate republicans. >> the democratic colleagues. >> republicans should work with democrats. reporter: the room for unity and bipartisanship can be pretty spacious sometimes. so how is it under the trump administration? has washington come together or grown apart? we went to the hill for answers. >> we're not in very good bipartisan place right now. reporter: on a scale of 1 to

>> again, it's issue by issue more than it is anything else. >> i've been out of education too long. it could be a whole lot better. let's put it that way. reporter: though a week after the president sided with democrats on a budget bill, some believe there may be more leeway to land deals. >> is it improved, getting worse? >> a great song by the beach boys years ago "i'm picking up a good vibration." i am picking up a good vibration. >> whether it is a new experience for some i hope it's not but if they haven't tried bipartisanship before it is a great time to start. reporter: with big ticket items on the docket like immigration and tax reform, some here say finding common ground is as critical as ever. >> i am optimistic. i certainly believe on the issues there is so much more we have in common than what separates us. >> half the country is not republican and half the country is not democratic. so the president's job is to work with all of the people and the more he does that i think the better. reporter: especially to those

a back seat to the folks back home. >> i'm willing to work with anybody. of either party if it's good for wyoming. and against anybody of either party if it's not good for wyoming. reporter: on capitol hill, abc 7 news. alison: right now at 6:00 we're just learning of five more deaths in florida as we get a new glimpse of the devastation in the sunshine state. >> a thousand dollars. >> $1500. >> over $1300. alison: larry: one skimmer ripping off dozens of people. this wasn't a gas pump but at the people's own bank. alison: the aftermath of a plane that crashed into a car. what we learned about the pilot in minutes. > we don't know where to go. larry: frustration is spilling

people are fighting to survive, fighting to find out what's left of their homes and their livelihoods. as we come on the air right now the assessment of the damage from hurricane irma is grim. alison: fema is estimating a quarter of homes in the keys are destroyed. another 65% have sustained heavy damage. larry: that is in addition to the human toll at least 55 deaths now blamed on this monster storm. 18 of those in the united states and almost all of them in florida. 3/4 of florida still without power. marci gonzalez right now looking at the fight to recover. reporter: the start to this literal long road to recovery in the florida keys covered in sand and seaweed lined with ship wrecked boats. the first evacuees now returning, many to find a kind of utter destruction they feared. neighborhoods flattened, businesses badly damaged. no cell phone service, electricity, or running water. >> seems like everybody just tipped everything over.