making news in america this morning, the death toll in the california mudslide disaster rises as we get a new view of the devastation. >> i didn't think it would ever turn into something like this. we've never seen anything like this before. >> 100 homes destroyed. this car washed away in a river of debris. water service could be out for several months and this morning the shocking development, why emergency cell phone alerts were never sent. president trump strikes a different tone when it comes to the russia investigation. his new response when asked whether he's willing to answer questions under oath. a young man, the picture of health, falls victim to the flu. this morning his father's tearful warning to everyone about just how dangerous the flu virus is this season. a man attacked by a bear in

florida needs 41 stitches to recover. >> i came outside and he was right there. >> what happened just before the rare attack? plus, eric clapton's new health struggle. we'll see what 23 see of snow looks like. and the woman who just returned her dead christmas tree to costco and got a refund. good thursday morning, everyone. i'm kendis gibson. >> i'm maggie rulli in for diane macedo. the rising death toll in the california mudslide disaster. >> yeah, at least 17 people are dead and dozens believed to be missing. around the town of montecito in santa barbara county hundreds are stranded with roads cut off and no water supply. >> meanwhile, as we see new video of the raging floodwaters, we're learning why they never received emergency alerts. this morning, rescuers going door to door, searching for

survivors in southern california, placing an x when it's all clear. >> i didn't think it would ever turn into something like this. we've never seen anything like this before. >> reporter: powerful mudslides funneling down these hillsides left barren by last month's fires. abc's kayna whitworth flying over the damage. >> if you look out there, you can see all of these homes completely surrounded in mud in all areas. i mean look at this. the rocks and mud have pushed down out of the canyon and collapsed trees and moved cars. yet somehow just to the left was completely spared. >> reporter: new video shows the power and speed. an empty car burbank bobsledding down the street as a muddy mess washing downhill. >> oh, my god, mom. >> reporter: marco and his family scrambling to safety as a wall of mud hits their home. >> close the door. get, get ready to go out. wake dad up.

>> reporter: the family, some of the lucky ones surviving the ordeal. but the death toll is rising. at least 17 people have been killed. including roy rohter, the founder of a catholic school. 12-year-old sawyer corey and her cyst morgan. peter flore and ken liatis who hasn't been heard from since tuesday. the evacuations still ongoing. it could take weeks or possibly months to restore drinking water in montecito. meanwhile, the busy 101 freeway now a mud-caked mess. it's closed until monday. two local whale watching companies are offering emergency ferry service to evacuees. there's word that cell phone alerts didn't go out until after the mudslides began. they were afraid future warnings would be ignored if nothing

happened this time. now to washington, d.c. and president trump's apparent change of position about the russia investigation. seems to be backing away from a possible interview with special counsel robert mueller. also, the president finds himself in the middle of a challenging debate over immigration. lana zak with the details. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and maggie. in washington lawmakers say they're increasingly close to coming to an agreement that would protect the 800,000 d.r.e.a.m.ers in the country. expect the white house will face increasing questions about the president's most recent tweets about the russia investigation. abc news has confirmed that special counsel robert mueller has told the president's lawyers he is likely to request an interview with the president, but asked directly if he was willing to meet with mueller, the president hedged. >> i can only say this, there was absolutely no collusion, everybody knows it. >> reporter: president trump had previously said he was willing to meet with investigators. >> wow be willing to speak under

oath to give your verse? >> 100%. >> reporter: on twitter he dismissed it all as, quote, the sing the greatest witch-hunt in american history, adding republicans should finally take control. he was asked to explain what that means. >> how do you want republicans to take control of the russia investigation? >> thank you very much, everybody. >> do you want them to shut down the russia investigation. >> thank you very much, everybody. >> reporter: the senate republican leading one of the investigations seemed to balk at the president calling for republican control of the russia investigation. >> i don't intend to have a discussion with the president on that point and i hope he doesn't call me and tell me the same thing that you said he said. >> reporter: meanwhile, congressional negotiators say they are closing in on a daca deal to protect undocumented immigrants brought to the united states as children. the president insists that congress must agree to fund his wall but republicans on the hill seem to temper expectations. >> it depends how you define wall. that wall doesn't have to be 2,000 miles of solid wall.

>> reporter: now, republican jeff flake says he believes congress will come to an agreement before the january 19 spending deadline but, kendis and maggie, it is not clear if daca will be part of that bill or a stand-alone. we know senate majority leader mitch mcconnell pledged he hopes to have daca done by the end of this month. >> all right, so time is ticking for them. lana zak in d.c., thank you. the trump administration says an immigration sweep at 7-eleven stores across the country are only the beginning. agents hit up nearly 100 stores in 17 states and d.c. in the predawn raid arresting nearly two dozen people suspected of being in the country illegally. the store owners may also face fines and criminal charges for employing undocumented workers. a legal victory for the trump administration. in a battle over who trees a consumer watchdog. a federal judge has ruled president trump can appoint his budget director mick mulvaney as acting director.

a woman selected by the outgoing director of the agency sued to keep the job. she's expected to appeal the ruling. another high-profile republican is retiring from congress. darrell issa harshly criticized president obama as a house committee chairman, the 30th republican who has announced he will not seek re-election in november. overseas, tapes are finally reaching tourists stranded in the swiss alps. here's what 23 feet of snow look like. it was the biggest storm in a generation. about 13,000 tourists have been trapped because of the risk for avalanches. >> all right. well, nothing like that back here at home. let's check your weather for this thursday. there is however another storm system moving across the central plains bringing snow and ice to northern states and rain and ice farther south. the strong winds could produce blizzard conditions in parts of

minnesota, iowa and wisconsin followed by bitter cold temperatures. the same storm brought heavy snow to the rockies where it was welcome in ski towns like breckenridge which saw about ten inches. perfect conditions for some skiers there. and still ahead, another close call at a major u.s. airport. how a plane nearly landed on the wrong runway. but first a stunning revelation from the governor of missouri. the secret recording prompting him to admit he had an extramarital affair. plus, caught on camera, the dramatic moment a construction crane comes crashing down.

they came out of nowhere, sir! how many of 'em? we don't know. dozens. all right! let's teach these freaks some manners! good luck out there, captain! thanks! but i don't need luck, i have skills... i don't have my keys. (on intercom) all hands. we are looking for the captain's keys again. they are on a silver carabiner. oh, this is bad. as long as people misplace their keys, you can count on geico saving folks money. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. ,000 deaths in america last year. we need to stand up and say enough. the only way this problem is going to be solved is if we raise our voices. choose help over helplessness, hope over hopelessness. make sure that the lives we've lost

will not have been lost in vain. addiction is a disease. when you ask for help, help is there for you. i'm a navy s.e.a.l.

i'm a businessman but most importantly i'm a very proud husband and father. >> well, that's missouri governor eric greitens billing himself as a family man. well, this morning he's admitted having an extramarital affair. but he's denying some explosive allegations that he blackmailed his mistress to keep her quiet. a local tv station aired a recording in which the unnamed woman reportedly claimed the governor took a photo of her naked and threatened to release the image if she ever went public. overnight the governor's lawyer denied any blackmail calling the accusation about the nude photo false. police in orange county, california, are investigating the death of an ivy league student as a homicide. the body of 19-year-old university of pennsylvania sophomore blaze bernstein was found in the brush around the park where he was last seen. he was home on winter break and had reportedly been picked up by a friend to meet up with another friend in the park. his family just wants answers.

>> our family is devastated by the news and we like so many of you around the world loved blaze. blaze was a brilliant, colorful and ka icharismatic man who she light on all those who touched. >> they questioned his friends several times but this point they're calling him a witness and not a suspect. >> that youtube star logan paul is facing new fallout after posting a video that showed an apparent suicide victim in japan. youtube's parent company google is now dropping paul's channels from its advertising service. he's also being dropped from the online series "foursome." paul has since apologized for the video. and coca-cola are making a bold new move trying to put fizz back in sales of diet coke adding four new flavors to its classic diack coke included ginger lime, twisted mango and

zesty blood orange after bottled water unseeded soft drinks as america's favorite drink. the father of a young man who died from the flu shares a warning. the teacher arrested after protesting her boss' raise gives her story. a mansur visiting a terrifying bear attack in florida and has the scars to prove it. she'll love us. right? we are the new light & fit greek yogurt with zero artificial sweeteners. zerooooo! ooh eye contact. be cool. ♪ ♪ yeah girl, 13 grams of protein. 90 calories. yaaasssss! (loudspeaker) clean-up in the dairy aisle. we're the new light & fit greek nonfat yogurt with zero artificial sweeteners. come and get us. your body was made for better things than rheumatiod arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist

move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz xr is right for you. xeljanz xr is a once-daily pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. it can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. xeljanz xr can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate. ask your rheumatologist about xeljanz xr. it's ok that everyone ignores it's fine. drive. because i get a safe driving bonus check every six months i'm accident free. and i don't share it with mom!

right, mom? righttt. safe driving bonus checks. only from allstate. switching to allstate is worth it. trust #1 doctor recommended dulcolax. use dulcolax tablets for gentle dependable relief. suppositories for relief in minutes. and dulcoease for comfortable relief of hard stools. dulcolax. designed for dependable relief. >> holy crap. >> watch it there. this was the scene at a construction site in austin, texas, that crane apparently malfunctioning and toppling over. two men were injured but we're told their injuries are not life-threatening. a new warning about the flu virus spreading across the country much earlier than usual. the parents of a healthy 21-year-old body builder who just died from the flu are

warning everyone no matter what your age, get the flu shot. kyler died from septic shock just days after his flu symptoms began. he finally went to the hospital when this fever kept rising but it was too late. >> you know, whenever you have fever and you have it multiple days, just don't let it go. >> experts say it's not too late to get the flu shot although it's only 30% effective. it can still help lessen the symptoms. it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to take full effect. more evidence of the toll this flu is taking. one school near charlotte, north carolina, is closing for the rest of the week after 160 students came down with flu-like symptoms. >> a baltimore hospital says it will investigate the circumstances behind a disturbing video. a man says he recorded hospital security guards wheeling this woman to the bus stop wearing only her hospital gown then

leaving her in the cold. he called 911 and says medics brought her back to the hospital. now, that hospital confirms that she was discharged from the emergency department saying, quoting here, this unfortunate event is not representative of our patient-centered mission. while there are many circumstances of this patient's case that we cannot address publicly, in the end we clearly failed to fulfill our mission with this patient. the faa's investigating another close call at san francisco international airport. anary rowmexico flight nearly landed on the wrong runway heading straight toward a virgin american flight packed with passengers before air traffic control alerted the pilots. it's the second close call at the airport in recent months. in july an air canada flight nearly landed on a crowded ta taxiway. the former head of the transportation department will investigate the chaos in new york's jfk airport this week. bad weather and a burst water pipe left thousands of people stranded. as of wednesday, 5,000 pieces of

luggage were still stuck at the airport and it could be two weeks before some people even get their bags back. >> a rally planned today in louisiana for the teacher arrested during a school board meeting there. deyshia hargrave was handcuffed after protesting a $38,000 raise given to the superintendent. now, the board president says hargrave spoke too long about a subject that was not on the agenda. >> by silencing my voice they've also taken away or tried to take away my first amendment rights to speak and i'm appalled at this and you should be too. >> the school superintendent is now speaking out for the very first time. he says the marshal who arrested hargrave acted correctly because she was not following the protocol of the meeting. >> go to the podium. state your name. you have three minutes. that way there's no ambiguity if somebody received the authority to speak or not. our people are -- know what to do and when it happened, that

person -- that marshal acted in what we ask him to do. >> the core issue the teachers union says they haven't received a raise in nearly a decade. the city prosecutor says he will not press charges against hargrave. one man now sharing his frightening tale of survival after being attacked outside his home by a bear but here's the real kicker. he lives in naples, florida. andrew says he was letting his dogs outside when he came face-to-face with a four-foot bear. >> i came outside and he was right there. and i tried to run and wasn't fast enough. i tried to go like this to get back in & just did one of these and flew that way and somehow got in the door. >> what a close call. you see the size of that gash. andrew had to get 41 stitches. >> all right, up next in "the pulse," the music legend who

says he's going deaf. also ahead, lights out. what caused the power outage at the world's biggest technology show. plus, how a woman got a full refund for her dead christmas tree in january. it's a long-distance run. and you have the determination to keep going. humira has a proven track record of being prescribed for nearly 10 years. humira works inside the body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to symptoms. in clinical trials, most adults taking humira were clear or almost clear and many saw 75% and even 90% clearance in just four months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal, infections and cancers, including lymphoma have happened as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms, or sores.

don't start humira if you have an infection. join over 250,000 people who have chosen humira. ask about the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists. humira & go. ialmost everything. you know, ke 1 i n 10 houses could get hit by an expensive septic disaster. but for only $7 a month, rid-x helps break down waste. avoid a septic disaster with rid-x. turn up your swagger game with one a day men's. ♪ a complete multivitamin with key nutrients plus b vitamins for heart health. your one a day is showing. looking to lose weight this year?

try fda-approved alli®. for every 5 lbs you lose, alli® can help you lose two to three more by preventing about 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed. for the only fda-approved otc weight loss aid, try alli®. ♪ laila >> your thursday "pulse" starting with erc clapton, a legend revealing health problems caused by all those years of performing. >> this one is tough. he says he's going deaf. his condition called tinitis is caused by exposure to loud sounds. >> he's still doing plenty of gigs. >> good for him. next to a massive loss of juice at the world's biggest technology show. >> it's never a good thing for the consumer electronics show

when the power goes out. >> that's tough. >> yeah, people had to use the lights on their phones to see some of the products during that outage at the las vegas convention center. others just said that's enough. we're going outside. as it turns out it was the rain that caused the problem creating a so-called flashover on a transformer but the outage lasted about two hours. tough at an electronics show. >> not enough to do in vegas when that happens. >> what are you going to do? quiet town. next to to an unexpected refund that caught our attention. >> a woman brought her christmas tree back to costco asking for a full refund last week because it was dead but most christmas trees are dead by january. >> exactly. so another customer posted this on social media to try to shame her but she got her refund. she got the last laugh. yes. don't hate the player. the game. >> the christmas tree game. finally a man finds out that black ice, guess what, it can be painful. >> this is in northern virginia

here. he's heading to work, just a normal day and then ends up slipping, sliding. doing so well. >> he can make it. >> no. >> down goes -- >> i'm really impressed by how long he stays up. >> he does. he slides for a little bit. >> they're not used to it in virginia. >> brian boitano would love his skills on the ice. he's fine and his wife tweeted this out on social media. >> he's fine but she can't stop laughing. >> she got a good laugh out of it. more news after this. 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. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis had both. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding.

don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... ...and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i'm still going for my best. and for eliquis. ask your doctor about eliquis. ♪ there'that only uses 100% american oranges.and simply orange and tropicana ship in juice from overseas. only florida's natural grows all of our oranges in florida. great taste. naturally. psoriatic arthritis tries to get in my way? ♪ watch me. ♪ i've tried lots of things for my joint pain. now? watch me. ♪

think i'd give up showing these guys how it's done? please. real people with active psoriatic arthritis are changing the way they fight it... they're moving forward with cosentyx®. it's a different kind of targeted biologic. it's proven to help people find less joint pain and clearer skin. don't use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx you should be checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of an infection. or if you have received a vaccine, or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. with less joint pain, watch me. for less joint pain and clearer skin, ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how.

a person fired shots at police is barricaded inside a home. we're live on this tense scene. breaking overnight, a camden county diner is destroyed by a raging fire. warmer weather is moving in as we look out across sky6 live hd at penns landing. david murphy is tracking heavy rain in your accuweather. karen rogers is keeping on eye on the roads, a lot is ahead on "action news." th a mix of rain the northwest. finally, it may be safe to

say that boston's museum of fine arts has finally gone to the dogs. >> the museum's newest employee is using his keen sense of smell to sniff out some creepy crawlers that could pose a threat to its priceless works of art. our boston station has the story. >> reporter: on the job work badge ready and learning new skills fast. riley just became the newest member of the mfa. >> weimer rhiners have a powerful sense of smell. >> reporter: that great nose hundreded down our camera. perfect for his new job roaming the halls sniffing out bugs and pests that break into the museum. taking after his mom head of museum security. >> riley is only 12 weeks old so doing pretty well just sitting there. especially in a museum really like the fact that he doesn't have a tail. >> reporter: he beat out other politics filling the first puppy position of its kind. >> we're not aware of any program like this in any museum

yet. i'm not sure how intensive the interview process was but he was hand picked. >> reporter: you won't see him. his job is behind the scenes but he's already pretty popular. >> we're overwhelmed by the popularity. >> reporter: surrounded by paparazzi he may launch his own social media page. on the job training will take a year. for now he's just working on sitting, fetching and being adorable. wcvb news center five. >> they have all this priceless work of art. they want to make sure it doesn't get damaged. >> and an adorable puppy can help. dogs' senses of smells are amazing. thousands of types stronger than humans. working hard. >> that's what's making news in america this morning. good morning everyone it is

had 30:00 a.m., thursday, january 11. we're following several breaking stories in south jersey. >> police come under fire in a barricade situation neighbors are sheltering in place right now. >> firefighters in the garden state battle a blaze that rips through a diner. rescuers head out on a local pond trying to save a dog stuck in the ice. >> along those lines it's nice to start above freezing, david and karen. >> reporter: i was driving in today, i