making news in america this morning, town halls across the country are getting more heated and in some cases more bizarre. residents are talking to empty chairs and even cardboard cutouts as they demand answers from lawmakers. plus, the overnight protests at the white house after the trump administration revokes guidelines for transgender bathrooms. protesters blocking streets and surround cars after on off-duty officer's confrontation with a group of teenagers. video of it and what the department is now saying. we have a winner for the powerball jackpot someone out there holding a ticket worth more than $400 million. while we don't know who they are, we do know where it was sold. close call for a group of boaters when a whale makes a big splash.

and we do say good thursday morning. we'll start with all those protests growing on two fronts against congressional lawmakers and decisions by the trump administration. >> overnight people gathered at the white house after president trump rescinded guidelines on transgender restroom use at schools. >> and americans across the country are storming republican town hall meetings demanding answers from their representatives and senators about the president, his policies including the future of health care. furious, fraction and at times feisty. [ chanting ] angry constituents from california to new jersey showing up at congressional town halls. overnight in santa ana cardboard cutouts placed on seats after these lawmakers were no-shows. near austin, texas, no representative, no problem. >> we're going to have a town hall as if he was right here. >> reporter: asking questions to

an empty chair after congressman bill flores failed to show up. >> i would like to know if there is a going to be an independent investigation of the russian situation. >> reporter: flores' office said he had a scheduling conflict and a rowdy group with tom cotton. cotton seemingly dodged a question go whether he would preserve the affordable care act protections for people with pre-existing conditions. >> my husband are alzheimer's and dementia plus multiple other things and you are going to stand with him at home, expect us to be calm, cool and collected. well, what kind of entrance do you have. >> reporter: republicans questioned the legitimacy of some of those attending. >> some people are clearly upset but there is a bit of professional protester manufactured base in there. >> reporter: the president tweeting the so-called angry crowds in home districts of some republicans are actually in

numerous cases planned out by liberal activists. sad. and there is new reaction after the white house returns the issue of transgender bathroom use to individual states. >> it cancels the federal guidelines put in place just last year. abc's kenneth moton joins us live from washington, d.c. with more on this. kenneth. >> reporter: good morning, diane and kendis. remember during the campaign, president trump said transgender celebrity caitlyn jenner could use whichever bathroom in trump tower she wanted but said it was a matter of states' rights. late night white house protests over a controversial reversal for a controversial federal directive. president trump rescinded president obama's guidance to schools and let them based on their identity. >> certain issues are not best with at the federal level. >> reporter: during the bill debate in north carolina, candidate trump said people should use the bathroom they feel is appropriate. >> the federal government was

engaged in gross overreach when it issued this directive. >> reporter: the justice and education department claims the obama directive caused kwon fusion and nancy pelosi said civil rights are not confusing. ♪ o say can you see >> reporter: jackie evancho asked for the president to meet with her and her sister. education secretary betsy devos saying it was a moral obligation to protect all students. attorney general jeff sessions wanted the obama civil rights expansion rolled back before pending court cases potentially upheld federal protections. one scheduled supreme court case involves transgender teen gavin grimm versus his virginia school board. >> i hope that the nation as a whole moves towards laws and moves towards equality and acceptance. >> reporter: with the president's reversal the supreme court may not hear gavin's case

now. the trump administration says anti-bullying safeguards for lgbtq students will remain in place. >> kenneth moton, thanks. vice president mike pence is the latest to denounce hate crimes after dozens of bomb threats were phoned in to jewish centers and a jewish cemetery in missouri was vandalized and made a surprise visit to help in the cleanup and send a message condemning anti-semitism in this country. >> there's no place in america for hatred or acts of prejudice or violence or anti-semitism. >> reporter: pence raked up debris at the cemetery where dozens of headstones had been knocked over. a muslim group raised tens of thousands of dollars for the cleanup there. the secretary of state and homeland security chief are in mexico this morning hoping to ease tensions. rex tillerson and john kelly will meet with mexican leaders later today, their mission to smooth over relations made by

president trump's stand on trade and undocumented immigrants. the people inside the pipeline protest camp have until 9:00 a.m. to clear out without being arrested. most of them vacated yesterday but set fire to their makeshift wooden housing as they left. ten were arrested outside the camp for interfering with the evacuation. government officials say they had to clear the grounds due to flooding and health risks. quite a bit of unrest in southern california as protesters gathered overnight over a police officer firing his gun during a confrontation with teenagers. hundreds of demonstrators gathered where it took place between the off-duty lapd officer and three boys in anaheim. the protesters blocked streets and surrounded vehicles. at least two dozen people were arrested. and that outrage was prompted by this incident. it was caught on camera. you see the off-duty officer in the plaid shirt grabbing that boy and another boy becomes involved and then a third is seen charging the officer. at that point the officer

appears to reach for his gun and the sound of gunfire is then heard. no one was injured during the incident and a criminal investigation is under way. >> during that confrontation a 13-year-old male is alleged to have made a threat towards the off-duty officer that he was going to shoot him. >> he said i'm going to sue you. you keep hitting me. you're hurting me. i'm going to sue you. >> reporter: it involved an ongoing dispute about the teens walking on the officer's property. the officer has been placed on administrative leave. two of the teens involved in the incident were arrested. we have breaking news from iraq and officials say federal police forces regained control of the runway at mosul's airport. that marks a significant step in restaying the city from isis. here is a live look at the staging area for that brace just outside the airport. the airport's runway has been destroyed by isis but regaining the site will help the army control important routes into mosul. back here in this country and to the extreme weather

impacting millions of people this morning. some of us are experiencing some record warmth while others are preparing for strong snowstorms. take a look at the current advisories. blizzard, winter storm, red flag warnings and watches all over the map. someone is presumably waking up very happy after hitting the huge powerball jackpot and we know where it was sold. tell you that coming up. >> assuming they went to bed at all last night. plus, fight of his life. a man battling stage 4 cancer suddenly attacked outside a bank. how he fought off the robbers. and a close call for a motorcyclist when a bus changes lanes. see the last-second decision that may have saved the passenger's life.

a hearing is under way in florida over whether a retired police officer who shot and killed a fellow moviegoer can use the stand your ground defense. curtis reeves is charged with killing chad le cl killing chad oulson after his use of a cell phone and that argument escalated. reese's wife defended her husband telling the judge he was scared of oulson and fired in self-defense. >> you're looking at mr. oulson at that point and you see him lunging forward. is that correct. >> yes, i saw that. >> when you say he was leaning forward, describe for the court what it is that you see at the time. >> it happened very quickly. and his whole upper body just came forward and i thought that he was coming over.

>> well, today oulson's wife is set to testify about what she saw when her husband was shot. the judge is expected to rule sometime next week whether the case will go to trial. a florida police officer who shot and killed a woman during a training session has turned himself in on manslaughter charges. lee cole could face 30 years in prison if convicted. last summer officer cole shot 73-year-old mary knowlton during a role-playing exercise on the use of legal force free on $5,000 bond. the former team doctor from the game jazz ticks team is facing new charges. lasry nasar is accused of molesting nine gymnasts while treating them at his home and the state's attorney general calls him a monster. dozens of former patients are suing nassar but denies the allegations. google's service works through the waze apps and allows

them to pick up extra commuters for a small fee and can't use them for their main income but unlike uber waze won't take a cut of the driver's pay and expand over the next few months in the u.s. one winning ticket for last year's 435 million powerball jackpot. if you bought your ticket in indiana. you will want to check those numbers. the numbers are 10, 13, 28, 52, 61 with a powerball of 2. there was also a $2 million ticket sold in new jersey and million dollar tickets in kansas, massachusetts, new york and texas. >> really after taxes, you're only getting like half that amount anyway. >> i'll take that. >> not even worth it. absolutely. when we come back we'll turn to the stunning developments in the murder of two teenagers, how one of the victims gave investigators their biggest clue yet. and riding on two wheels. >> whoa. >> watch that truck defy gravity after nearly crashing.

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admittedly they know how to handle snow in lake tahoe. but this is kind of ridiculous where some areas have had as much as 12 feet. >> wow. >> of snow. right now on the ground. in the last seven weeks the area has gotten more snow than it averages for an entire ski season and the resorts are loving life. >> just ski right down the street. more snow heading for roads in the rockies and other western mountains today. driving slippery in the upper plains. watch out for puddles in the pacific northwest and south of the great lakes. flying, weather-related airport delays possible in minneapolis and chicago. we're going to keep our focus in the midwest and the stunning development in the murder investigation of two indiana girls. >> police have released a short audio clip of the suspect's voice. now, that audio was apparent lid reported by one of the victims. 14-year-old libby german before her death. libby and abby williams disappeared after a hiking trip.

their bodies were discovered on valentine's day and alex perez has more. >> reporter: the voice is chilling. >> down the hill. >> reporter: indiana investigators believe it could help them track down whoever murdered 13-year-old abby williams and 14-year-old libby german. >> down the hill. down the hill. >> reporter: that distinctive voice police say is the killer ordering the girls to move down a hill. the girls' bodies were discovered valentine's day at the foot of a hill near the nature trail in delphi. authorities have been hunting for this man, who they call the main suspect in the case. investigators revealing the new audio and that image came from libby's phone. it's unclear if the voice belonged to that suspect or another man in her last moments libby managed to hit record. investigators hoping libby's valiant effort to record her alleged killer will lead to a tip and an arrest. alex perez, abc news, delphi, indiana. >> a man fighting cancer had a very different fight outside of a bank in florida. that man battling stage 4 lung

cancer fought off armed robbers here at a market near name. police say one of the suspects armed with a knife demanded cash. the man, though, fought back. the suspects though did get away with his suv and police are still searching for them. bangkok has a well deserved reputation for traffic problems and a couple on a motorbike barely escaped with their lives when a bus changed lanes without slowing down. watch carefully here. you'll see it. that person on the back jumped out of the way. the woman was pushed by the bus along with two other motorbikes. amazingly no one seriously injured and the bus never slowed down. >> i didn't even realize that person was on the back. >> amazing. in south korea another close call on the roads. check out this truck. it looks like it's a scene from a movie. the driver slams on the brakes behind a bus then the truck tips and ends up balancing on its right wheels. a few second laters it lands upright and keeps rolling down

the highway. no word on any injuries there. but it looks like a jackie chan movie. >> did that happen in indiana because it might have been the powerball winner if it did. time for sports and college hoops. >> neris neil and stan. >> good morning, stan verrett, neil everett in los angeles. not quite march but the madness has begun. >> listen, cal had oregon. i mean up against the ropes. dana altman -- >> giving up. >> no, they looked -- the first half was the worst first half in the history of oregon. chris boucher and dillon brooks, tie game. rennie's taylor, the cooler, stay open past 2:00. oregon wins. this, duke and syracuse. 2:20 to go. duke down 72-70. grayson allen. not afraid to shoot it in a big spot. and then later duke with the

ball. no good. here comes the 'cuse, john gillon. had 23 points before that -- >> home glass. >> give him 26 and give the orange the win on gillon's shot 3 for 4 for three on him and when syracuse needed to keep their tournament hopes alive. >> this tie is called gardenia from pineapple polaca. tom brady is on the case of his missing jersey. a massive whale gives a group of boaters quite a surprise. make a date with your eye doctor. your eyes will love you for it. show your eyes some eyelove. eyelove is all the things... ...we love to do with our eyes.

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"pulse" will start with new england patriots quarterback tom brady at the point right now where he has to think outside the box if he ever wants his super bowl jersey back. >> brady has put together a list of suspects who may have been involved in its disappearance. they include gollum and teammate julian edelman and lady gaga and her escape ropes that we saw during the super bowl. also on the list, michael scott from "the office." the jersey is worth an estimated $500,000. >> so you understand why he wants it back. this one is a -- pay close attention to. researchers now say strenuous exercise ruins your sex life in that's not what i expected. so, in one of the first studies of its kind scientists in north carolina found that frequent high intensity workouts can lead to lower libidos in men but haven't pinpointed how much is too much. >> so the answer may be ditch one or two of the workouts and

then binge-watch tv with your sweetie instead. >> it was compiled by all women. humpback whale put on quite a show for some voters. near cape henry, virginia. >> absolutely stunned and delighted by the whales' acrobatics. students on a trip and you can just hear their reaction. no complaint, by the way, about getting drenched completely. just a lot of squealing joy. hashtag stuffy nose.

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hi, i'm frank. i take movantik for oic, opioid-induced constipation. had a bad back injury, my doctor prescribed opioids which helped with the chronic pain, but backed me up big-time. tried prunes, laxatives, still constipated... had to talk to my doctor. she said, "how long you been holding this in?" (laughs) that was my movantik moment. my doctor told me that movantik is specifically designed for oic and can help you go more often. don't take movantik if you have a bowel blockage or a history of them. movantik may cause serious side effects, including symptoms of opioid withdrawal, severe stomach pain and/or diarrhea, and tears in the stomach or intestine. tell your doctor about any side effects and about medicines you take. movantik may interact with them causing side effects. why hold it in? have your movantik moment. talk to your doctor about opioid-induced constipation. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

>> hello, everyone, i'm matt, thursday, morning, 4:27 a.m., we're following breaking news on "action news," gunfire goes off in west oak lane, two people were hit. we're there live. there's a dense fog advisory in the area, atlantic city has a little fog along the beach. david murphy has that, plus temperatures soaring into the 70s. one winning ticket was sold matching the 435 million-dollar powerball prize, where it was sold, i'm not going to tell you yet. suitable for life.

>> wabc's jeff smith has details. >> reporter: we may have gotten closer to the discovery of extraterrestrial life. a team of astronomers has found seven earth-sized planets orbiting trappist-1. >> these seven planets are all about the size of earth, about the same mass so probably rocky like earth. >> reporter: here's the important part. three of those are at a distance from that star where temperatures would support liquid water. a prerequisite for life. >> water has a lot of interesting unique properties that make it very well suited for life here, obviously it's the foundations of life here on this planet as we know it. you can imagine other solvents for life, things like liquid ammonia or liquid ethane but water really works very well especially with carbon which is what we're made of. >> reporter: because they're relatively nearby on a cosmic scale space telescopes may be able to detect life-affirming

gases. >> they're launching the james webb telescope, about $9 billion to build. that's going to be able to look at these planets as they cross the face of the star and sniff out molecules in their atmospheres looking for things like oxygen or methane that things on earth are produced by living things. where there's smoke there's fire. where there's a few planets there's a lot more to be found. >> reporter: meteorologist jeff smith, eyewitness 7 news. >> i don't know that i'm all that excited about it. >> are you nervous? >> i saw the remake of "independence day." >> maybe e.t. will bring back reese's pieces. >> there is an upside. >> that's what's making must in america this morning. >> stick around for "gma." >> good morning, it is

4:30 a.m., thursday, february 23. >> we're following breaking news, a shooting in a philadelphia neighborhood sends three people to the hospital. >> the trump administration federal protection for transgender students, when it comes to uses bathrooms in schools, philadelphia school district responds. sitting in a pair of slacks, sits a powerball ticket worth $430 million. >> i guess whoever has tha