making news in america this wednesday morning -- the alabama senate candidate back by president trump losing in a special election overnight. why it's seen as major defeat for the republican establishment. millions of americans are pleading for help as thedy disaster in puerto rico grows worse. hear what president trump is now saying about washington's response. plus, the celebrities now stepping up, sending their own planes filled with supplied. we're live in washington. change in policy. the tv provider now offering refunds for customers offended by athletes kneeling during the national anthem. and the global reaction as the last country in the world to ban women from driving changes cows.

and we do say good morning on this wednesday. we begin with what is being called major blow to the republican establishment and to president trump. >> roy moore has won the republican senate primary runoff there in alabama. the former judge twice suspended from the alabama supreme court is known for his sometimes provocative comments on topics like homosexuality and islam. >> he easily beat luther strange. janai norman explains why this could be major warning to republicans. >> reporter: voters in alabama have spoken. >> i'll fight for you. for the united states senate. i'll fight for the people of this state. and of this nation, who want to bring our country back. >> reporter: conservative roy moore, the gun-toting, horse-riding

beating out senator luther strange. >> this is not the result that we wanted. i have congratulated judge moore. i have talked to him on the phone. we wish him the best. >> reporter: he's a hero to the religious right who garnered the support of president trump's former chief strategist steve bannon. the elections garnered national attention and tested the political sway of president trump's administration and those who put him in the white house. the president tweeting his congratulations to moore. trump admitted backing strange might not have been the right choice. >> i might have made a mistake. i'll be honest. i might have made a mistake. >> reporter: even as the republican leadership fund pumped $7 million into the race. >> let's go again and make america great. >> reporter: janai norman, abc news, washington. the other big story unfolding this morning. the humanitarian crisis in puerto rico. president trump is now

his hurricane response effort. >> he plans to visit the island next week to view the devastation. millions of americans there still have no power. nearly half the island has no drinking water. lana zak has new details on the conditions and how the u.s. military is boosting its response. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and diane. the president plans to travel to puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands on tuesday. he doesn't want to interfere with the response efforts under way. he's answering questions about his response. >> is puerto rico getting all the help it needs from you? >> puerto rico is getting help. >> reporter: on the ground, the island is in crisis. 95 pgt of puerto rico is still without power. more than half of the residents without clean water. take a look at this. this is a gas line. while hundreds wait at

airport trying to fle ing ting . but there are not enough planes. >> i left back my family, frenlds, and co-workers here. and they have -- you know, they don't have water. they don't have lights. they don't have so many things that they need. >> reporter: puerto rico is a u.s. territory. its residents are american citizens. a week after hurricane maria, many say the federal response has been insufficient. are you getting the stuff you need fast enough? >> no. no. and i'm sorry if that's not politically correct. >> reporter: san juan's mayor says bureaucratic red tape is holding up relief efforts. >> this is going to turn to be mr. trump's katrina. >> reporter: in response to the criticisms, the white house released photos of the president in if situation room being briefed on puerto rico. and he brushed off questions about whether he's been

>> was i preoccupied? not at all. not at all. i have plenty of time on my hands. all i do is work. >> reporter: the trump administration is increasing efforts in puerto rico. they will potentially double the number of troops on the ground there. the federal government will take up 100% of the cost associated with debris removal and emergency assistance. over to health care now. bipartisan talks are resuming on capitol hill after strike three for republican hopes to repeal and replace obamacare. on tuesday, mitch mcconnell scrapped the latest proposal, admitting a lack of support. senators from both parties are working together fr a short-term fix. to iraq and the increasing tensions that are rising after a nonbinding vote by the kurdish minority to declare independence. in the wake of the vote, iraq has given the

to hand over their airport. neighboring turkey has threatened military action if the oil-rich kurds take further action toward independence. president trump is turning up the heat on north korea. it's the first use of new sanctioning powers that the president created with an executive order last week. the sanctions taught eight north korean banks and officials working for the bank. meanwhile, the parents of the american student who died after release from north korea now claim their son, otto warmbier was tortured. >> he had a shaved head. he had a feeding tube coming out of his nose. he was blind. he was deaf. as we looked at him and tried to comfort hip, it looked like

pliers it looked like someone had taken a pair of pliers and rearranged his bottom teeth. >> the north koreans claimed he contracted botulism. american doctors found no evidence of that. time now for a look at your weather in wednesday morning. >> hurricane maria has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. the reach extends nearly 600 miles off the coast of the carolinas right now. 70-mile-an-hour winds will kick you have rough surf and dangerous rip currents from florida to maine in the next few days with a four-foot storm surge possible in north carolina's outer banks. it's not exprotected to make landfall. it will expected to make the hard right turn and head out to sea. no other storms in the atlantic. still ahead, in details about a top member of

administration taking private jets with your tax money. plus, the cold case involving a killer dressed as a clown finally solved after 30 years. and how the anthem controversy in the nfl is leading to refunds for some

[ crowd yelling ] so politics are pretty rough in washington, d.c., these days. but nothing like this. a brawl you represented in uganda's parliament. they were angry about a plan to remove the age limit for presidential candidates in the east african country. we have new on the planes

politico says price combined professional and personal travel. including a trip to a georgia property and nashville, where he had lunch with his son. department officials insist that price has not violated travel arrangements. meanwhile, the head of the epa, scott pruitt, is under scrutiny for spending $25,000 for a secure phone booth in his office. the embattled ceo of equifax is stepping down. he'll not get his retirement until after the data breach is investigated. the hack could have exposed up to 143 million americans. directv, the satellite service provider, is refunding the price of nfl sunday ticket subscriptions for some c

who say they were offended by last week's national anthem protests. the company tells espn that it won't be sharing information about how many subscriptions are canceled. and company best moan for building fancy vacuum cleaners is getting into the electric car business. dyson is investing $2.6 billion in the project. the electric car will be pricey. he hopes to unveil the battery-powered vehicle by 2020. when we come back, a potential problem with o.j. simpson's release from prison. the last country to keep women from driving is reconsidering. a rapper shot outside a landmark hollywood hotel overnight. to most people, i look like most people. but on the inside, i feel chronic, widespread pain. fibromyalgia may be invisible to others, but my pain is real.

nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i'm glad my doctor prescribed lyrica. for some, lyrica delivers effective relief for moderate to even severe fibromyalgia pain. and improves function. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain, i can do more with my family. talk to your doctor today. see if lyrica can help. when food is good and clean and real, it's ok to crave.

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♪ i'm a fireball pit bull is putting his plane to good use. he september his private plane to the island to bring cancer patients to the united states to get much-needed chemo treatment. he say it's the least he can do. a developing story in los angeles. a rapper was shot outside a famous hotel. >> police say young dolph was shot three times. he's in critical condition. one person has been detained. it's not clear, though, if he was involved in the fight. police are investigating if the shooting is related to a rivalry are another hip hop artist. police in virginia have made an arrest in a 27--year-old cold case. marley warren was killed by someone who came to her door dressed as a clown. the person shot her and calmly drov

the case was reopened. sheila keen warren is taken into custody. after serving nearly nine years for robly and assaults, o.j. simpson is days away from freedom. he could be released as early as sunday. he may have to stay in nevada for awhile. authorities say he hasn't yet field paperwork that would allow him to move to florida to live with his children there. meanwhile, an official has now revealed the parole board did not consider simpson's 1989 conviction for spousal abuse when it granted him parole in july because the case was not in the national database. a health alert this morning about the dramatic rise in std rates. a number of cases now hitting a record high. more than 2 million americans were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease last year. officials blame a lack of awares

condom use. a young mother in oklahoma may be facing charges for allegedly abandoning her bay be along a busy highway. the 4-week-old infant was spotted bay group of good samaritans who had pulled over and found the baby sleeping in his car seat in the grass about ten feet away from traffic. they say the baby appeared to be unarmed. >> his prayer is that as he was walking up to the -- please, if there is a bababy, let it be alive. no sweat. no sun burn. this was a 90-degree day. >> police found a birth certificate, social security cards and cash next to the baby. they located the baby's mother. they're deciding whether to file charges. the investigation into ncaa basketball is not over. even with the arrest of four coaches. all have been suspended by their schools. they're among ten people

taking cash bribes in return for steering nba-bound athletes toward specific advisers and sports agents. let's head to baseball. >> there's plenty to play for. highlights now from espn. here we go! cubs-cardinals. if they win this game, they're in the playoffs. and they're at st. louis. kenny mayne says st. louis has the best baseball fans. his first home run against the cardinals now as a member of the cubs. 8-6. ben zobrist. st. louis never had any affection for him. it's 8-7. we're wondering, are we going to have cubs post game as they clinch. will they pour the champagne? no, they will not! gets him. cards win, 8-7. champagne on ice. magic number one.

they have cleveland. they need to beat them and have the angels lose. that's paul molitor. max kep ler strikes out. the win ises had a lot of chances. on that chance they took advantage of. dozier said i struck a three-run homer to right in the top of the eighth. the wins the win, 8-6. but the angels also won behind mike trout's 31st. meaning minnesota's imagine ing number is at one. our thanks to the fellas at espn. up next in "the pulse, the future hall of fame quarterback who may soon run for senate. and closing the door on "firks upper." why chip and joanne ya gaines are walking away from their hit show.

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time to check "the pulse." we begin with the historic decision in saudi arabia. women will finally be allowed to drive. >> and they won't need a male guardian's permission to get a license. the new law takes effect though next june. some clerics opposed to it saying it would corrupt society. the woman who led the campaign for the right to drive says saudi arabia will never be the same. in reference to the long fight women have endured? she said the rain begins with a single drop, which was her rallying cry. the first major driving protest was back in 1990. and now to peyton manning. a well-known football player. he's become a well-known pitchman for several companies. >> but, could he have thoughts about a political career? manning is said to be considering a run for senator in tennessee in 2020. >> he's reportedly eyeing the seat currently held by

77-year-old lamar alexander. a tennessee lawmaker is saying that he's not interested in the seat vacated by bob corker. >> corker said he is a possible kantd for lamar alexander's seat. ♪ and he's on your side so chip and joanna gaines have announced season five will be their last season. >> the couple has been dogged by rumors that their marriage is on the rocks. they say their marriage has never been stronger. that is not the issue. they actually say that they never wanted their four children to grow up in the spotlight. and so they want to give them a chance to have a normal childhood. and twitter may soon give president trump and everyone else a lot more room to express themselves. by doing away with the 140-character cap. >> oh, the company is considering doubling that tweet limit to 280 characters. it's already testing out the idea on a small group of users. twitter says people act

tweet more when they don't have to cram everything into such a small box. >> so just imagine the tweets we'll get at 6:00 a.m. now with 280 characters. >> yeah, but now the pressure is on to make your tweets clever. >> to fill it all up. >> i'm going to want to fill the space. >> one of the things twitter considered was whether or not to be able to allow you to edit your tweets. they decided, no, not yet. >> i could use that. more news after this. overni a two alarm blaze breaks out atop an embassy in northwest washington. crews rushed to the ecuadorian embassy just after midnight as flames broke through the roof. two firefighters were sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. we have a crew on the scene , and will have a live update in just a few minutes. president trump is defending his respo

crisis in puerto rico. the island was devastated by hurricane maria, and one week later local officials are begging for more aid. the u-s territory is still without power and more than half of the three million residents, do not have clean water. president trump says fema resources are on the way, but the effort is difficult because puerto rico is on an island and you can't just drive trucks to it. good morning washington. toss to eileen - one more hot and humid day; stray shower early afternoon - tropical storm maria turns northeast later today & then heads farther out to sea - breezy tomorrow; falling humidity - feeling like fall friday through the weekend today: hot and humid. stray early afternoon shower. highs: 87-90 winds: n 5-10 mph tonight: partly cloudy. still mild and muggy. lows: 64-71 winds: nw 5-15 mph thursday: mostly sunny. breezy to windy. falling humidity. highs: 77-80 winds: nw 5-15 g 25+ mph

charges for a laser attack in fairfax

the incident was caught on camera. officials say the suspect pointed a laser at a police helicopter saturday night. two crew-members say they were briefly blinded. the crew was able to pinpoint where the light was coming from, and direct police on the ground to the culprit. he was arrested. federal investigators are also looking into the case and may file additional charges. happening today- former white house strategist steve bannon will be in phoenix, to speak at a republican summit for african american entrepreneurs. several congressman are also set to attend including arizona representative paul gosar and colorado representative ken buck. bannon will give the keynote address. the montgomery county council met last night to hear views on raising the county's minimum wage to 15-dollars an hour. currently set at 11-dollars-50 cents... the measure would raise the minimum wage incrementally to 15-dollars over the next three years.

this is the second attempt to raise montgomery county's minimum wage this year. county executive isiah leggett vetoed a previous version of this same bill in january. metro is expected to join the effort to bring amazon's second headquarters to the d-m-v. the board of directors is expected to vote thursday whether to include metro-owned sites in various bids to the tech giant. multiple submissions from our area are expected by amazon's october 19th deadline. it's xx and we're just getting started. breaking news. the embassy of ecuador bursts into

flames overnight. we have a crew on the scene, and will have new details.. in just a moment. good morning washington. - one more hot and humid day; stray shower early afternoon - tropical storm maria turns northeast later today & then heads farther out to sea - breezy tomorrow; falling humidity - feeling like fall friday through the weekend today: hot and humid. stray early afternoon shower. highs: 87-90 winds: n 5-10 mph tonight: partly cloudy. still mild and muggy. lows: 64-71 winds: nw 5-15 mph thursday: mostly sunny. breezy to windy. falling humidity. highs: 77-80 winds: nw 5-15 g 25+ mph

breaking overnight. a 2 alarm fire rips through the roof of