i'm gio benitez. a story with twists and turns that has captivated many for weeks. promising pro psych lest gunned down. the woman accused of her murder on the run, using i'll yanses, changing her appearance. tonight we're learning new details about the the international manhunt to nab her. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: from a surfside paradise to a jail cell. >> did you kill miss wilson? >> reporter: the woman accused of murdering the suspected romantic rival now finally in custody. kaitlin armstrong had been on the run, eluding authorities for more than six weeks. >> kaitlin armstrong, who is a fugitive from justice, fled not only austin, but the united states, and changed her physical appearance.

gio benitez, abc news, new york. >> thank you, gio. just incredible to see that side of the story as well. >>> we are getting our first look at video of a tense emergency landing over the holiday weekend. this happened sunday in western north carolina. a single-engine plane had to land on a highway in swain county. the pilot said the engine failed. he managed to land safely after dodging traffic and power lines. fortunately no one was hurt. >>> sticking with the airplane theme, an airline passenger faces federal charges after allegedly stealing cash during a flight. crew members on a jet heading from argentina to miami tuesday noticed a man pacing the cabin mid-flight. attendants asked two passengers if they were missing anything. authorities found more than $10,000 and stolen credit cards on the suspect when the plane landed. you know, you always wonder when you leave to go to the bathroom or you stand up, your purse is usually there, your bag. >> yes. >> but $10,000? that's another thing. don't bring $10,000 next time you go on a pla

>> all right, gio benitez with us here. gio, thank you. >>> tonight, former president trump returning to washington, d.c. for the first time since he left office and just days after that prime time hearing showing where the former president was as the attack on the capitol was unfolding. watching cable news just off the oval office for hours, never calling for help to end the riot. well today, he was in d.c. talking about law and order. and his former vice president mike pence, who came within 40 feet of those rioters, speaking in washington, as well, with a much different message. here's rachel scott. >> reporter: it's been just days since america learned that as his supporters rampaged through the capitol for more than three hours, donald trump sat in his private dining room, watching it all unfold on television. not taking the 60-second walk to the briefing room, where there is always a camera live and ready to go, to tell the rioters to go home. still today, as trump returned to washington for the first time since leavi

here's abc's gio benitez. ♪ ask yourself this question. what does it mean to be strong? does it mean being able to pull a monster truck or lifting a car off of the ground? or throwing around gigantic rocks? those are big rocks. what's the most weight you've ever picked up? >> so, i've deadlifted 971 pounds. >> reporter: 971 pounds, that's roughly the same as picking up five grown adults or four full-sized refrigerators or an entire grand piano. for rob kearney, being strong is oten measured in herculean feats like these. it makes sense. he's one of the strongest people in the world. ♪ now, before i go on, a primer for anyone like me who has no idea what's going on here, this is the world's strongest man competition. it takes place every year. for more than four decades, these giants come from all over the world to settle an age-old question, who is the biggest and strongest of them all? and rob is one of the fiercest competitors. when you were growing up watching sports, weightlifting, what was strength to you? >> i wasn't a terribly athletic kid growing up. honestly it

i'm gio benitez, abc news, new york. reggie: today, steve jobs will be awarded the presidential medal of freedom at the white house. he will be one of the 17 recipients when president joe biden presents -- presents them tonight. , harris and the second gentleman will also be there -- kamala harris and the second gentleman will also be there. simone biles, denzel washington, and others will be awarded. the metal is the nation's highest civilian honor for making exemplary contributions to the country. kumasi: the results are in and people in marin county were ready to have fun at the fair after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. revenues from this year's fair were up by more than 25% compared to 2019. the five-day fare generated $1.9 billion. this year's theme was so happy together but it was not entirely back to normal. the competitions usually held in the hall had to be done locally. reggie: i just wish everyone look who rode the zipper. ♪ ♪ it's enough. kumasi: not for me. people are always in it, ready. reggie:

abc's transportation correspondent geo benitez met up with some young people who think they have the right stuff. >> there's nothing like that first time taking off in a small plane. you're just up there. you see a lot of stuff from a different point of view. >> it's so peaceful, so mind blowing that i'm in there myself flying. it's a dream come true. >> reporter: tennisha sullivan and casey klein are both at different stages of the same ne commercial airline pilots. >> to know what these buttons do, to know how to control the aircraft, you know, make it do what i want, it's really great. it's empowering. >> reporter: casey, why do you want to be a professional pilot so badly? >> it's hard to explain. there's never a question in my mind if i made the right choice. i don't know if everybody can say that about what they do. >> reporter: casey is a few months away from even being qualified to fly commercially, and yet he's already been courted by several airlines. >> it's a pilot market. and across the board we've had more opportunity than we've ever had. >> reporter: that's because ame

gio benitez there for us, thank you so much. whit?et's check out the situation on the nation's roads. despite gas prices ticking down slightly, they're still the highest they have ever been on the fourth of july. that's not stopping millions of americans from taking holiday road trips. stephanie ramos is in new jersey with more. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: whit, good morning. as millions take to the airports, millions more are headed back on the roads this morning. aaa is predicting a new record for car travel this weekend with 42 million people expected to have hit the roads. the group says the busiest places to drive this weekend are los angeles, new york, seattle, atlanta, and boston with travel at peak times. more than double the usual trip, but good news is that today isn't as busy on the roads for those looking to jump start their drive home. experts say leave early to beat any possible traffic, and despite the record-high gas prices, they're not keeping americans from the roads. gas prices are actually down slightly t

i'm gio benitez. a story with twists and turns that has captivated many for weeks.mising pro psych lest gunned down. the woman accused of her murder on the run, using i'll yanses, changing her appearance. tonight we're learning new details about the the international manhunt to nab her. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: from a surfside paradise to a jail cell. >> did you kill miss wilson? >> reporter: the woman accused of murdering the suspected romantic rival now finally in custody. kaitlin armstrong had been on the run, eluding authorities for more than six weeks. >> kaitlin armstrong, who is a fugitive from justice, fled not only austin, but the united states, and changed her physical appearance. >> reporter: u.s. marshals issuing an arrest warrant for the murder of professional cyclist mariah wilson, alleging armstrong killed her after flying into a jealous rage. >> when i first heard the story of date lidge armstrong, the first thing that came to mind is "catch me if you can." >> reporter: how authorities say the yoga instructor managed to vanish, where sh

gio benitez with news on the

abc's gio benitez covers aviation for us. >> reporter: tonight, new videos show the moments richard russellle's sea-tac airport, stole a commercial passenger plane that he then intentionally crashed. the videos of the 2018 incident show 28-year-old russell going through airport security. watch closely, six hours into his shift, he uses a tow vehicle to get the alaska airlines regional plane onto the runway. he jumps into the cockpit. other workers oblivious to what was happening. he takes off. >> oh, my god. is he okay? >> reporter: russell performing aerial stunts over puget sound as fighter jets tracked the jet. air traffic control tries to get him to land. >> all right, rich, now, let's try and land that airplane safely and not hurt anybody on the ground. >> i don't know, man. i dont know! i dont want to i was kinda hoping that was gonna be it. >> reporter: russell intentionally crashing the plane into an island 30 miles away. he died in the crash. and the fbi says this was not part of any wider criminal activity or terrorism, that russell acted alone. but why he did it, well, that is st

gio benitez, thanks very much. robin?big question indeed, george. >>> we're going to turn to the megamillions jackpot. with no winner overnight, the prize soaring to more than $1 billion. i said that, a billion dollars. andrew dymburt has more. andrew, so many were scrambling to see if they won that the website crashed for hours. good morning. >> reporter: robin, good morning. i got to be honest, i was one of those americans this morning scrambling to see if i won. i did not. there was no big jackpot winner but that's good news. it means everyone is still in it and means the jackpot is going up to the tune of just over a billion dollars. it's only the third time in 20 years that the megamillions is becoming a megabillion. of course, megamillions mania is sweeping the nation, so much so that the website megamillions.com crashed last night for a few hours. it's back up now, and has good news for 6.7 million people who won something, if only a few bucks or a free ticket. and even though no one claimed the top prize, nine peo

here's gio benitez. >> reporter: tonight, the new james webb telescope reaching deeper into the universeh, my gosh. it really does work. personally i went and had an ugly cry. >> reporter: this one showing a wide angle of just a tiny fraction of the universe, thousands of galaxies in view. the red ones going back to the dawn of time, more than 13 billion years ago. and this image, the death of a star -- collapsing then exploding, creating that gorgeous ring of colors. this image capturing five galaxies together, those sweeping tails of gas seen in crystal clear detail. and here, the so-called "cosmic cliffs" -- the carina nebula -- where stars are born. and david, the webb telescope has already made a discovery, finding water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet that's orbiting a distant star. just incredible, david. >> really is, gio, thank you. just spectacular. and i'll see you right back here tomorrow. good night. only on abc seven news tonight. the x-ray that shows more than a bullet fragments hitting people who celebrated the fourth of july in oakland. >> the ba.5 subvariant is spre

gio benitez is at newa york's laguardia airport for us. >> reporter: linsey, we saw a record number of travelers this weekend. on friday alone, the tsa screened nearly 2.5 million people. now, that was a pandemic record. the last time we saw a number that high was before the pandemic, in february 2020. but we also saul a large amount of delays and cancellations. about 10,000 delayed flights, more than 1,000 canceled, following a slew of staffing and weather issues. now, it's not too bad today, but tomorrow, airports and roads will be very busy as millions head home. linsey? >> potentially slow going on tuesday. gio, thank you. >>> next tonight, wnba s nnba s brittany greener appealing to joe biden to bring her and other detainees ifs back home. the u.s. says she's being wrongfully detained. she writes, "as i sit here in a russian prison, alone with my thoughts and protections of my wife, family, i'm terrified i might be here forever." >>> when we come back, we're tracking the severe weather for millions in the central u.s. and the dangerous fire threat in the west. you're a target for

studios made major announcements yesterday at comic-con in san diego, clara benitez.ego comic con in full swing. bring out the newest fan favorite. the rock giving dc comics and a preview. his newest role in the warner brothers film black >> and the same. >> the former professional wrestler joined on stage with director joel micah. let sarah aldis hodge. noah sin ti know vacant ss when dell fans excited to asked johnson some hard hitting questions about the film today. >> the truth a good with there already taller than >> and fans inside hall h waiting for hours. some overnight to be able to get inside and see their favorite stars, including the cast of the newest warner brothers film. she's am fury of the gods. starring zachary levi in asher angle. all the facts that are in that room, it's not like a movie theater is like the real deal. >> and seeing the actors and directors. that's the connection that you just get here. >> that looks like a lot of fun for dc fans at marvel studios also made some big announcements about several new movies, including a new fantastic 4

our transportation correspondent gio benitez is at laguardia airport with more for us. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, robin, good morning to you. yes, some people we spoke with could not get to their destination for days. now this morning here the new travel rush to get home. this morning, a record number of july 4th travelers are expected to go back home. since thursday more than 9 million people were screened at u.s. airports. today that number will go up dramatically. but travel headaches are still fresh from the weekend. more than 10,000 delayed flights before the holiday. over a thousand canceled. >> i was supposed to be home about 6:30 p.m. on thursday and i got home at about 7:30 p.m. on saturday. >> reporter: this traveler coming back from a family trip in barcelona was rerouted to an airport three hours from home, having to make that drive. >> the drive from nashville to birmingham, alabama, is three hours and i still have 126 miles to go. >> reporter: secretary of transportation pete buttigieg telling abc news, airlines need to live up to their end of th

as always, exclusive reveal from gio benitez., take a look for primday.on fulfillment er i beat once again. hey, becky. >> reporter: good morning, amy. amazon prime day is happening right now. it's kind of easy to get lost in all the sales. there's a smart way to shop including some surprising categories where amazon is suddenly very competitive. plus, what not to buy no matter how low the price is. it's all when we come back. ♪♪ it's the all-new subway series menu. twelve irresistible new subs. the most epic sandwich roster ever created. ♪♪ it's subway's biggest refresh yet! [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] what makes febreze car vent clips different? febreze has steady release technology. just click, install and boom! febreze uses your fan to circulate freshness that won't overwhelm or fade... for up to 40 days of consistent scent. febreze car. my a1c stayed here, it needed to be here. of consisten

gio benitez is back.do. this is good news that the airline, they'll start flying nonstop between new zealand and new york. we all know that struggle with seats and legroom in economy. so this morning that burning question, could this someday be the future of economy travel? with cancellations and delays making air travel feel like a nightmare for so many, planes are also jam packed. passengers ending up with less and less room over the past few decades. the cheapest seats today are about 17 inches wide. in the '90s they were about two inches wider. >> airlines have generally really focused on business class suites and first class, but there hasn't been a lot of innovation in economy over the years. >> reporter: now this morning one airline says it's changing that. air new zealand unveiling the skynest. bunk beds for economy passengers to get some shut-eye without having to break the bank on first class seats. these are some of the most exclusive lie-flat seats available from international carriers, singap

abc's gio benitez has more. >> reporter: this morning, could europe hold the most bang for your buck? may just get a deal. here's why, right now the euro and the dollar are equal. one u.s. dollar to one euro. it's the euro's lowest drop in 20 years. >> typically we see more of an exchange rate like $1, u.s. dollars will buy you about 80 cents. for american travelers heading to europe day they can expect what they pay while in country will be much lower than they would have paid earlier this year or in 2019. >> reporter: and travelers are noticing, expedia telling us it's seeing huge spikes in searches for paris, frankfurt and brussels, up more than 20% in just the last week. saving 20 cents for every dollar will add up. the average hotel prices now this summer amsterdam, 199 a night. rome, 180. athens, 131. your biggest savings may be in other cities especially when you think about air fare. >> right now, roundtrip airfare to europe will cost travelers just over $1,100. if you're headed to somewhere like dublin, ireland, scandinavian countries, sweden, or even iceland, you can get dea

but we got one from clara benitez. >> san diego comic con in full swing. newest fan favorite. the rock giving dc comics and a preview. his newest role in the warner brothers film black >> numbers will never been the >> the former professional wrestler joined on stage with director joel micah. let sarah aldis hodge noah sin ti know vacant ss when dell fans excited to asked johnson some hard hitting questions about the film >> the truth. pretty good with there already taller than >> and fans inside hall h waiting for hours. some overnight to be able to get inside and see their favorite stars, including the cast of the newest warner brothers film. she's am fury of the gods. starring zachary levi in asher angle. all the facts that are in that room, it's not like a movie theater is like the real deal. >> and seeing that actors and directors the connection that you just get here. >> now, james does not dress up, but he does wait in line with everybody. you know, because the first night you have to basically overnight in the line dedication and he's dedicated to

with your gma first look, i am gio benitez, abc news new york. >> good to. that was smart. >> l.a. is getting ready for the mlb all-star game. fans are already getting into the swing of things at play ball ballpark. at the fan experience at the l.a. convention center, you can get autographs, check out the world series trophy or the world's biggest baseball. some young players from compton got to experience the park for the official opening. >> along with the all-star game is play ballpark. this is an opportunity for the fans to be able to have a close opportunity to see what this game is all about and celebrate it. ama: play ballpark will be open tomorrow and tickets are required. reggie: officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the presidio tunnel tops. this video from the presidio trust shows the 14 acre site overlooking the ocean and golden gate bridge. the park includes paths to walk on and areas for kids to play. the park officially opens sunday at 10:00 a.m. the event will have a dj, a walk-through with a ranger, poetry, dancers and some pop u

here is gio benitez. gio: bargain on the high seas, travelers are cruising into big savings finding major deals as prices soar for trips i air and car. >> i am calling this a golden hour when it comes to cruising because i do not expect this pricing to last. if you are looking for a deal this is the time to book the deal. >> when the prices dropped so dramatically low, it was incredible. gio: ed typically stays in hotels but this year he chose to do a cruise for five month -- sent -- five night spending less than $100 a day. >> i spent literally less than $500, i think if you include parking. j.r.: we will-- gio: we will have more on how to stretch her summer vacation budget coming up at 7:00 a.m. jobina: the world-famous cape pop group bts is coming to disney in a big dreaming deal. that is abc 7's parent company who says they will add new original shows with members of the group to disney plus including a behind-the-scenes documentary and a taped concert special with the entire band. the seven person gr

back in 2018 our gio benitez invited these parents to a pool party, assigning them tasks like runninghe pool, swimmers. but what the parents don't know is that there are actually lifeguards from swim school skilled in mimicking a drowning. structoregins t mukeeaanwhile, to notice. we're looking at more than 2 1/2 minutes and still nobody notices a thing. >> reporter: she then simulates a wot- moving. remember, she is a trained professional and is just acting. josh roland from the american red cross was watching too. 4 1/2 minutes, still no parent noticed anything. >> right. >> does that surprise you? >> it does not. >> reporter: the simulation ends and the parents learn what they missed. one man emotional. >> you are visibly shaken. >> yeah. >> why were you so nervous? >> because it happened to my child. >> his daughter valentina survived. he says, when she was just 3, she began drowning in a hot tub. he was on the phone, but she was spotted in time. >>i got a phone call, and i got distracted, and she was in trouble. that's what happens. >> reporter: water safety experts say, one of t

so we got this report from carlos benitez. san diego comic con in full swing.fan favorite. the rock giving dc comics fans a preview. his newest role in the warner brothers film black. >> numbers. we'll never been the same. >> the former professional wrestler joined on stage with director joel micah. let sarah aldis hodge. noah sin ti know vacant ss when dell fans excited to asked johnson some hard hitting questions about the film >> the truth the good with they're already taller than >> and fans inside hall h waiting for hours. some overnight to be able to get inside and see their favorite stars, including the cast of the newest warner brothers film. she's am theory of the guns. starring zachary levi in asher angle. all the facts that are in that room, it's not like a movie theater is like the real deal. >> and seeing the actors and directors. that's the connection that you just only get here. >> only there and we'll hear all about it. when james gets back tomorrow, i guess he's been posting john a little online. you see a couple of his it's been definitely exc

abc's transportation correspondent gio benitez looks at the potential impact for travelers and theirtblue saying it's buying ultra low cost carrier spirit airlines, some major questions. is the u.s. airline industry about to see a major shift, and how will it affect you, the consumer? >> i think it's bad news for travelers. >> reporter: scott keyes, founder of scott's cheap flights, is one of the many concerned the move could raise ticket prices. >> competition between airlines is the single biggest determinant of how many cheap flights you see on any given route. >> reporter: he says spirit is an anchor in the airfare market with fares as low as $44 each way, but not including extras like a larger carry-on or seat assignment. keyes says big airlines like delta and american will lower their prices to compete with spirit on the same routes. >> they need to drop those fares to try to compete and get more customers. >> reporter: the announcement of the deal after rejecting another proposal from ultra low cost carrier frontier with frontier announcing a sale of 1 million seats for 19 buc

benitez is the president.eingee rig their pictus right there, the chiefat corporate affairs officer. i'd go funde at. he is called margaret richardson. these are the people who made this decision to crush josé alba and his family, but they're not the only one . virtually every power center in the united states agreeser self-defense is no longer allowed. you can nooan longer fight back. and if you don't believe it,re remember how the media covered rittenhouse trial. hea carried g a gun across state lines. hihe's a white supremacist. >> here was a man exercisinggh his lawful his fundamental right of self-defense. but he was charged with murder and corporate media backedne the prosecutors during rittenhouse his trial. one prosecutor called james crouser told the jury openly that rittenhouse should have just allowed the thugs to beat him him to death. he had no right to defend himself, quote, everyone takeses a beating sometimes, krauss s says a man who's never taken a beating in his life and thener another prosec

our transportation correspondent gio benitez is here with that and it looks like the answer is, yes toto you, amy. good morning to you guys. unbelievably it is yes. we noticed some super savvy travelers were using these devices to find their luggage and this morning we're going to use one of them. the apple airtag, so we'll put my airtag in the luggage here, i always travel with a "good morning america" shirt, so we'll put that in here and what we'll do is it already if we put this phone up here you could actually see it's already showing where my luggage is, it's actually obviously right here with me, but what we'll do as you watch the story, we're going to try to lose my luggage and show you how it works in realtime. first take a look at this. stacks of lost luggage, the scene at many airports during the summer of travel mayhem. >> i am expecting summer 2022 to be the worst period for missing bags ever. i've never seen systemic breakdowns in so many top airports around the world. >> it's not fun. this hack is for you. >> reporter: now some travelers are taking action by placing track

our transportation correspondent gio benitez here with the story.ced. this morning, a mother speaking out after she says her child was allowed to walk off an american airlines flight alone while traveling as an unaccompanied minor. monica gillam's 12-year-old daughter kimber was flying from chattanooga to miami last saturday to visit her father when mom says she received a distressing call from the airline. >> the manager from american airlines called and said, you know, your child is missing. and i was like, how did you lose my child? you know, how do you lose an unaccompanied minor? >> reporter: gillam says her daughter felt like she was supposed to get up once everyone began to de-plane and a flight attendant even waved good-bye. there aren't any federal regulations when it comes to according to american's website its policy says that employees will board the child early and then escort them off the plane to meet their guardian at the gate. gillam says kimber's father had to use facetime to help the 12-year-old navigate her way through the airpor

gio benitez has the latest on the investigation. >> reporter: this morning, an urgent investigation afteroman opened fire inside dallas love field airport. >> code blue at dallas love field. somebody's shooting. >> reporter: no one was hurt, but confusion and hysteria erupted inside the southwest airlines terminal. passengers inside seen crouching down low behind seats for safety after shots rang out. police say 37-year-old suspect portia odufuwa, seen here from a previous arrest, shot off multiple rounds apparently at the ceiling. >> i just heard the shots. it was like 10 to 12 shots. >> reporter: according to officials, an officer on scene shooting the woman in the lower extremities. >> keep moving across the skywalk. >> reporter: as officers and airport officials evacuated the building -- >> there was just a mad scramble. people just got up and tore out of this place. >> reporter: -- the shooter was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital. and though the incident took place in the ticketing area, flights were suspended for hours and thousands of passengers were forced t

transportation correspondent gio benitez is here with the new warning about scammers trying to take advantageump, gio. >> this is such a problem. michael, good morning to you. yeah, text message scams are now rampant. you've probably seen some yourself and some victims, they are losing out on thousands of dollars. now this morning, right here, how the scammers are using gas to lure you in. this morning, a new warning from multiple states about a text message scam targeting your financial pain at the gas pump. >> they were receiving text messages indicating that they were eligible for a $1,500 fuel rebate through dmv. >> reporter: the texts direct you to a website claiming to be from the state. but in reality, it's far from that. >> once we looked at the website and the web link we realized it was an attempt to steal someone's identity so we work with our state i.t.s. office to have it shut down. >> reporter: and it's not just new york. other states issuing warnings about similar text message scams. ftc data showing that this year text messages have now taken over as the number one method of c

gio benitez already getting everybody fired up there. [ cheers and applause ]t back t trying to firee up this morning. >> you just won't let that go. >> i can't, robin. >> how can he? come on. >> i can't do it. >>> we also have a major development this morning in the effort to free brittney griner and paul whelan from prison in russia. we'll talk to john kirby about the proposal to bring them home but ask about the american prisoner not part of the deal. >>> we begin with the release of a crucial economic report from the commerce department. this as the federal reserve raised interest rates. our chief economics correspondent rebecca jarvis is tracking it all. good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning to you, michael. that critical report, the gdp, showing that for the second quarter in a row the u.s. economy decline. this morning, as americans brace for a possible recession, the fed determined to fight historic inflation raising interest rates by another 0.75 percentage point. the fourth rate hike this year. >> my colleagues and i are acutely aware high inflation imposes signi

. >> reporter: to show the toll the heat can take on an adult body, abc's gio benitez teamed up withdegrees and that was a cloudy morning. his body temperature -- >> we just took my body temperature right there and it was 100.8, 105 is deadly for kids. >> reporter: this morning experts are stressing it doesn't take much to turn a car deadly. >> it could happen to anyone, and in most cases, it's the most loving, responsible, caring people. >> reporter: but there are steps parents can take to protect their kids. always keep cars locked and keys out of the reach of small hands, because about a third of deadly cases are the result of children wandering into cars on their own. if a child goes missing, the first place to look should be inside nearby vehicles, and teach kids to honk if they're stuck. really important tips there and experts say a lot of these happen when there is a bit of a break in your routine so try to leave a purse, maybe your phone, something that you need to use every day so you can make sure that you will go back to the backseat, see your kids and take them with you.