making news in america this morning, travel nightmare. atlanta's airport, the busiest in the world shut down, plunged into darkness. >> the lights flickered once. it was really scary then they flickered again and didn't come back. >> tens of thousands stranded with no place to stay. the lights backs on but why the headaches are only just beginning. also overnight new details about senator john mccain's condition as he battles brain cancer. the veteran senator returning home to arizona. how it could affect the republican tax bill with the first crucial vote expected tomorrow. team for sale. the new fallout as t

one of pro football's top teams is accused of sexual harassment and using a racial slur. the allegations prompting the sale. cell phone safety. does the so-called radiation from your phone cause headaches or even cancer? the new guidelines from health officials raising more questions. and she can conquer anyone on the court but new mom serena williams is going public with her toughest foe yet, a teething child. who is coming to her help this morning? and we do say good morning on this monday, i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm eva pilgrim in for diane. the lights are back on at the world's busiest airport but may be quite some time before operations return to normal. >> the power out for 11 hours stranding tens of thousands of travelers. the mayor says more than 30,000 were impacted. domest

and overnight we learned what caused it and why it could linger for days. overnight travelers trapped at the world's busiest airport. >> it's a nightmare. >> reporter: a massive power outage bringing atlanta's hart field jackson airport to a standstill. some stuck on the tarmac for up to nine hours. >> all the airlines that are like canceled they're saying we have to leave the airport basically. there are people who have nowhere to go so what do you want us to do. >> reporter: even the former transportation secretary grounded. anthony fox tweeting there is no excuse. this is insane. shuttles and bus services transporting some to the george international convention center. hours-long plaqueout caused by a fire in an underground electric facility. the backup system also knocked out. >> because of the intensity of the fire, the switch which activates the redundant system was damaged which caused

damage to two systemed rather than one. >> reporter: even with power we stored it set off a massive ripple reflect delaying 2,000 flights. a perfect storm with a record 51 million passengers flying over the holiday period. that's a 3% increase from last year. >> but the problem is atlanta is the big hub for the southeast and for delta, they said you can't go there. >> i was going to try to get to birmingham. i was going to try to get to wherever, you know, nearby. not. >> reporter: it could take several days to sort out the missed delights, delayed and disgruntled passenger. >> for airlines headquartered in atlanta like delta, it's going to have a cascading effect and take them a long time to figure out crew's schedules and putting them in the right place. there are going to be a lot of pooh emaffected by this for a long time to come. >> of course,

biggest airline. air traffic control maintained power so nobody was in danger. more than 1500 flights have been canceled so far. as for the fire, officials say there is no evidence it was deliberate but the mayor does say it was not -- he was not able to rule out terrorism or sabotage. now to the other big story this morning. new details about senator john mccain's condition. he is back home in arizona after being hospitalized during his treatment for brain cancer. he will not be in washington for this week's vote on the republican tax bill. abc's arlette saenz has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, eva and kendis. senator john mccain is back home seeking further treatment but wean out his vote republicans are on the verge of passing the most sweeping tax reform and securing their first major legislative victory. president trump says republicans are days away from dlifrping the biggest christmas gift for the american people. >> this is going to

income people of this country that they've ever gotten for christmas. >> reporter: who exactly will benefit from the gop tax plan. the bill slashes the tax rate from 35 to 1%. for the wealthy it lowers it from 39% to 37%. and for middle class americans it doubles the standard deduction but combines state and local income property tax deductions at $10,000. previous reports found those making 75,000 or less would be affected the most. >> it's a huge giveleawaway. >> reporter: it repeals the obamacare mandate. that could lead to 13 million more people uninsured. last week, two key hold-outs, senator marco rubio and bob corker

plan. republicans now believe they'll have the votes. >> i'm confident we'll pass this bill probably on tuesday. we were determined to get this job done. >> reporter: one key gop senator won't be on hand. as he battles brain cancer, senator john mccain returned home to arizona where he'll undergo physical therapy and rehab at the mayor clinic. >> he's going through a very tough time. no question about it. but he will come back if we need his vote. >> reporter: senator mccain's office says the senator looks forward to returning to washington in january. as for the tax bill the president hopes to sign the package by the end of the week. the irs says americans could see changes to their paychecks early next year. eva and kendis. >> thanks, arlette. in the meantime, new developments in the russia investigation. president trump denying reports that he plans to fire the special counsel robert mueller. the denial comes after a lawyer for the trump transition team sent a letter to members of congress claiming mueller's office illegally obtained e-mail

protected under attorney/cloipts privilege. >> not looking good. it's not looking good. it's quite sad to see that so my people are very upset about it. >> reporter: mueller's office insists their investigation -- their investigators followed the law. in the meantime, last night the president once again denied any inclusion with russia. russian president vladimir putin is thanking president trump for sharing intelligence that helped prevent a terror attack. a tip from the cia apparently helped russian authorities stop a bombing plot in st. petersburg. during a thank you call putin promised the president that russia would also turn over any information about potential terrorist threats against the united states. well time for a look at your weather on this monday morning. it's going to be a stormy week ahead across the country. snow in the northwest will move into the center of the country

temperatures and even more snow. thunderstorms along the east coast next weekend could make holiday travel more difficult for millions of americans. now today's temperatures will be a little more moderate. 43 in new york and 45 in chicago. mid-50s are expected today from denver to washington. 2 in miami. coming up, the pope's giant pizza party. first celebrity chef mario batali's unusual apology after being accused of sexual misconduct. new troubles in sarah

we're back with the ot

of fallen california firefighter cory iverson was returned to san diego. it passed through five counties with firefighters and other emergency personnel saluting from overpasses. the 32-year-old leaves behind a pregnant wife and a young daughter. >> iverson died while helping to fight the thomas fire along the pacific coast north of los angeles. that fire is now on the verge of becoming the second largest in state history after burning 270,000 acres and more than a thousand buildings. several homes burned in montecito this weekend but officials were able to save many others including a guest house where the eagles wrote their famous song "hotel california." the fire is now 45% contained. this morning, the director of the cdc is insisting that no words have been forbidden at the agency. a "washington post" report has claimed the white house banned seven terms from official documents related to next year's budget, vulnerable, entitlement,

evidence-based and science-based. while denying the report, the director tweeted sunday that the agency will continue to talk about all of its important public health programs. former alaska governor sarah palin's son was arrested. court records show 28-year-old track palin is facing several counting including burglary, assault and criminal mischief but circumstances are still unclear. he was arrested last year for allegedly attacking his girl. mario batali is facing criticism for his unusual apology for sexual misconduct against women. the celebrity chef who was fired from his tv show last week wrote to subscribers of his newsletter and acknowledged, quote, many mistakes while calling his behavior wrong. and then at the bottom of his letter batali wrote, p.s., in case you're searching for a holiday-inspired breakfast these pizza dough cinnamon rolls are a

he included a photo that readers do click on for the recipe. >> okay, strange response there. so forget cinnamon roles or even cake. pope francis celebrated his 81st birthday with a giant pizza, 13 feet long topped with a single candle. you see him blowing it out telling the visiting children to eat all of the pizza because it will help them grow strong. coming up why uber may be revolutionizing another mode of transportation. >> but first the nfl team suddenly forsale after the owner is accused of sexual misconduct. concerns about whether cell phones can cause headaches or even brain tumors. we always debate that. we have new things prompting guidelines. stay with us. i used to. i even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. but no matter where i ride, i go for my best. so if there's something better than warfarin, i'll go for that too. eliquis.

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the box office. only the previous "star wars" film did better. nearly half that money, by the way, came on friday alone. >> goodness gracious. >> impressive numbers. we turn to the mounting questions after health officials issued tips on how to avoid potential health risk from cell phone. >> they referred to research that indicates the energy emitted by cell phones could increase the risk for brain tumors, low sperm count and headaches even though there is no conclusive medical research. they recommend keeping your phone an arm's length away from your body when you sleep. don't fall asleep with it on you and recommend carrying your phone in a bag or purse instead of in your pocket. a professor who sued the state for not releasing information about the potential danger is praising the guidelines. >> currently we're not doing a good job in regulating the radiation from these devices. in fact we're doing an abysmal job and being are being injured and harmed by the delay in having this information

>> now, officials say there's simply offering ways for people who are concerned about the possible risk to limit their exposure. >> it's the safety at ski resorts getting new attention following a weekend accident in central pennsylvania. the opening day of ski season when a lift malfunctioned and sent a chair sliding backwards downhill. the chair reaction left five people injured. >> my jaw dropped and i was like, oh, my gosh and i just sat there for awhile and just like watched everybody and was watching the emergency personnel come up. >> well, a spokesman said the lift passed all of its safety tests before opening. a ski industry group said only a few deaths have related to it in the past dozen years. hospital patients, uber has cut down on ambulance use as riders look to save money and some insurance companies offering gift cards

users and emphasize it's not a substitute during emergencies. a bombshell headline from the national football league. carolina panthers owner jerry richardson selling the team after this season as he faces sexual harassment claims. he commented on female workers' looks and even asked some if he could shave their legs. the 81-year-old also reportedly used a racial slur, celebrities including hip-hop mogul diddy have already expressed interest in buying that team. well, there was a strange scene at last knee cowboys/raiders game, the ref gave them a first down after measuring with a folded piece of paper. >> they went on to kick the game-winning field goal and more from espn. >> kenny and i have been waiting five seconds to bring you this report. good morning, america. so the patriots and steelers played and if they had played in

had won. played in an nfl stadium, the patriots win. >> we have rules and the rule books are thick. let's watch. already the fourth quarter. steelers trail, 34 seconds down. roethlisberger, jesse james, did he score, yes. sure looked like it. on replay they review and complicated rule and ruled that franco harris' immaculate reception didn't count. here's roethlisberger, fakes the spike, throws the pick. do not throw a slant. they win, 11-3. they got the tiebreaker. patriots, roethlisberger, sad. aaron rodgers' first game since week six. out 64 days and packers trail, and he did not look sharp. there's his third touchdown pass. three picks, richard rogers,

carolina territory and hits alison on the slant except alison fumbles the boil and spoil the return of aaron rodgerss, 31-24. packers 7-7 and most likely out of the playoffs. >> victor axelson won singles in badminton. up next the emergency that had chick-fil-a opening on a sunday. also the prince and the ex-president, while harry is sitting down with president obama. and urgent plea from serena williams to all moms out there.

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gand get kohl's cash for you!! give joy with fine fragrances an american girl doll or diamond jewelry and you'll get kohl's cash! presents for them, kohl's cash for you! and starting thursday, stores are open 24 hours. give joy, get joy at kohl's! therbottle of tropicana pure oranges squepremium.o each and absolutely no space for added sugar, water, or preservatives. tropicana. we put the good in morning. ♪ time for your monday "pulse" and the secret to getting chick-fil-a on a sunday. >> they don't open on sundays but when thousands of atlanta airport passengers were forced to spend the night at the convention center because of th

chick-fil-a to the rescue providing more than 5,000 meals. >> one broadcaster tweeted here all you have to do is get cut the power to the world's busiest airport to get chick philly on a sunday. the interviewer just as famous as the interviewee. >> prince harry is guest hosting and sat down with an old pal. >> focused on the former president's final day in office but first they went over the ground rules. >> so i'm going to speak faster -- >> no, no, no. not at all. >> do i need a british accent. >> if you start using long pauses between the answers you're probably going to get the face. >> let me see the face. >> oh, okay. i don't want to see that face. >> there you go. the face. the interview airs a little later on this mont

is finding her toughest battle since becoming a mom. teething. >> forget share post virginia. she can't take her daughter -- the picture read teething, the devil is so hard. >> mom says she tried everything even letting the 3-year-old chew on mommy's fingers, ouch. serena's also asking her followers for some advice. i'm sure she's getting tons. a marijuana marvel in massachusetts. >> this joint was rolled at an exhibit and 1,000 grams of pot and 3,000 yards oflights finall on this morning -- after nearly 11 hours without power at america's busiest airport. chaos and

-- more than one-thousand flights grounded -- impacting people across the country as the busy holiday travel week begins. good morning washington, i'm adrianna hopkins in for larry smith -- because he's actually stuck in atlanta right now due to that power outage. and i'm autria godfrey. toss to veronica today: partly cloudy, milder highs: 50-56 winds: southwest 5-10 mph tonight: mostly cloudy lows: 38-42 winds: light tuesday: partly sunny & mild highs: 56-62 winds: sw 5-10

right now --

police are on the lookout for whoever shot two people in northeast. gunshots rang out in the 400 block of 51st street last night. two people were hurt. no word on their conditions. officers have not released any suspect information. d.c. police are investigating another shooting.. this one in southeast. a man was shot shortly before six p.m. on condon terrace, near fourth street. the vicim was conscious when police arrived. there's no word of any arrests.. or on what motivated the shooting. get breaking news at your fingertips anytime. just download our free abc-7 news app to your smartphone.

not much to play for, but the redskins still giving there best effort against the cardinals. first quarter -- after a cardinals turnover -- kirk cousins finds jamison crowder for a 5-yard touchdown... skins up 7-0. then in the 2nd -- 7-3 washington, and cousins throws to karpi bibbs who takes it 39 yards for the score..redskins in command up 14-3. it was a dull second half, but the cardinals still had a chance with 23 seconds left. 4th down for arizona -- blaine gabberts pass to larry fitzgerald -- broken up by d.j swearinger. the redskins get the win...20-15. next sunday the redskins face the

kickoff is at 1 p-m. it's xx and we're just getting started. a hectic start to the holiday travel week. our own larry smith -- caught in the chaos. thousands of people stranded when the power completely goes out at america's busiest airport. now -- flights finally taking off again -- but cancellations and delays remain. plus, republicans -- on the brink of passing a sweeping tax reform plan. how it could impact you, and the one senator who won't be there for the vote. good morning, i'm autria godfrey, and i'm adrianna hopkins in for larry smith -- who will be calling in during our six o'clock hour of good morning washington to talk about all the chaos happening at that airport i

let's start the half hour with a check on the weather. today: partly cloudy, milder highs: 50-56 winds: southwest 5-10 mph tonight: mostly cloudy lows: 38-42 winds: light tuesday: partly sunny & mild highs: 56-62 winds: sw 5-10 breaking news this morning -- breaking news this morning --