kendis and janai? >> our thanks to emily rau there in wilmington, north carolina. >>> that's where the financial toll of the storm will be devastating. in north carolina where an estimated 250,000 homes are expected to be damaged, but listen to this. only about 3% of the homes in the state have flood insurance. and the storm may be to blame for this train derailment in north carolina. a freight train jumped the tracks near the border with south carolina. rain and flooding may have washed out those tracks. officials are investigating whether there was any hazardous material on board. >>> let's get a closer look now at your weather for this monday morning. >> reporter: good morning. while florence is causing havoc throughout the ohio valley region, the mid atlantic combining with humid air, and the tracking here will allow for it to settle into the eastern portions of kentucky for this morning, and then continue to carry its way towards the northeast and in its path, bring around catastrophic flooding. w

good morning. >> reporter: good morning, janai. if you can believe it, some of the rivers have not crested and the governor of the state is pleading with more than 10,000 evacuees for them to not come home just yet. the water rescues in north carolina continue this morning. coast guard crews airlifting families and their pets to safety. >> we've never seen it like this before. never seen nothing like this before. >> reporter: as rivers swell even higher after florence dumped more than 8 trillion gallons of water, officials now forced to close bridges in fayetteville leaving even longtime residents stunned. >> you know, i've been through quite a few. this is probably the worst rain event that i have seen. >> reporter: in wilmington lines stretched around the block. people waiting for hours for food and water. >> it just sat over us for so long and dropped so much water. >> reporter: as others return to their homes to survey the damage. >> the tree basically crushed the house in half. >> reporter: jacksonville resident michael white

let's go with janai and all the canadian boys who are over here and making music great.ut we're going to start with this monkey wrench that's been thrown in brett kavanaugh's supreme court nomination. >> the senate judiciary committee had planned to vote thursday but now a college psychology professor accusing the judge of sexually assaulting her in high school has come forward. >> even some republicans on the committee are wondering if the vote should be postponed. abc's david wright reports. >> reporter: supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh's accuser is stepping forward to describe what she says he did at a high school party back in the early 1980s. christine blasey ford tells "the washington post" that kavanaugh and his prep school friend were stumbling drunk when they corralled her into a room where she says kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and tried to cover her mouth to prevent her from screaming as the friend watched. i thought she might inadvertently kill me, ford told "the post," adding he tried to attack me and remove my clothing. ford took a polygrap

good morning, janai. >> reporter: good morning. president trump says he is staying informed about the hurricane response. fema is working with state governments ahead of the storm that the president says is unlike any we've seen in 25 to 30 years. president trump is promising preparedness as hurricane florence barrels toward the east coast. >> we are totally prepared. we're ready. they haven't seen anything like what's coming at us in 25, 30 years. maybe ever. it's tremendously big and tremendously wet. >> reporter: but even as he prepares for the coming storm, the president set off a firestorm by touting his administration's response to hurricane maria. the storm devastated puerto rico and was the deadliest hurricane in modern american history but that fact seeming to escape president trump. >> i actually think it was one of the best jobs that's ever been done. >> reporter: from the beginning his response has raised eyebrows and faced backlash as he was captured on camera tossing paper towels like basketballs to hurricane victims

abc's janai norman continues our coverage. janai. >> reporter: well, stephanie and kendis, those images of water rotting in puerto rico are going viral as the president is reassuring those in the storm zone along the carolina coast that the government is ready to help, but that promise comes as new numbers show just how deadly last hurricane season was. f-22s hitting the sky. apache helicopters being relocated. it's all part of how the federal government is preparing ahead of hurricane florence. >> first responders, law enforcement and fema, and they're all ready. >> reporter: president trump with this warning. >> get out of its way. don't play games with it. it's a big one. it's called mother nature. you never know, but we know. >> reporter: as the president stands ready to face whatever hurricane florence brings, he's still facing backlash for touting his handling of stinhui insting his administration did an unappre puico and llg e coet >> puerto rico was an incredible unsung success. >> reporter: maria killed nearly 3,000 p

janai? >> emily rau. thank you. >>> the head of fema could be facing something else. criminal charges in connection with his travel expenses. fema administrator brock long allegedly used government vehicles to make personal trips to his home in north carolina. the case is being referred to federal prosecutors. he denies any wrong doing. >>> time to look at your weather forecast for this tuesday morning. >> good morning. well, the rain is continuing to shift along with florence. florence now starting to develop more of a beeline path from the west to the east instead of to the north. we'll have showers and thunderstorms in abundance across a good portion of the east coast. the southern new england states will still watch it. rifs that will be flooded throughout portions of north and south carolina. it will happen for the next one to two weeks in a row. with accuweather, i'm meteorologist paul williams. >>> coming up, soaring salaries on wall street. what the average paycheck looks like. >>> a promising young golf star is found murdered on a golf course in iowa. a suspe

kendis, janai?> our thanks to paul there. >>> a popular california doctor has been charged with drugging and sexually assaulting two women along with his girlfriend. >> he once appeared on a reality tv show. the handsome surgeon seemed to have it all but now he's accused of teaming up to pick up women, drug them and them rape them. kayna whitworth has the details. >> reporter: this picture-perfect pair here enjoying a vacation in mexico, suspected of being serial rapists with hundreds of potential victims. this popular newport beach orthopedic surgeon had a taste for the reality show spotlight. >> an orthopedic surgeon will make a lot of girls' ears light up. those are the girls i'm not interested in. >> reporter: authorities say he and his girlfriend would allegedly lure unsuspecting women from bars and restaurants. >> we believe the defendants used their good looks and charm to lure their prey. >> reporter: each charged with sexual assault against two women and one count of rape. the first inciden

janai norman, abc news, capitol hill. >>> a familiar face will replace john mccain in the u.s. senate, but not for very long. this morning arizona's governor appointed former senator john kyle to replace mccain, who died on august 25th. kyle agreed to fill the seat but would not commit past january of next year, so he's making it clear it is temporary. now, if kyle steps down at that point, doocy will have to name another replacement who will serve until the 2020 general election. kyle served in congress for 24 years, first in the house and then as senator from 1995 until he retired in 2013. >>> democrats are hoping for a blue wave in the november midterm elections. this morning a new national poll shows house democratic candidates gaining ground. a just-released abc-"washington post" poll shows the widee democratic advantage for a midterm election since 2006. the poll shows a 52% to 38% preference for democrats over republicans. abc 7's morning afrverage yo ju spoke with rick klein. >> it seems there's a lot of good news for democrats whether talking about men who are not coll

janai norman. >>> and support is building for the two accusers. another rally is scheduled for tonight, this one at uc berkeley. we are in palo alto last night, hundreds behind the streets all showing support for blasey ford. we are expecting to hear from her for the very first time on thursday. again, that is when the palo alto university professor is scheduled to testify in washington. >> knowing her i think she will do just great. i just really hope the court listens to her because she has a lot to say and i know she's telling the truth. >> supporters are expected to gather again tonight, that rally at uc berkeley scheduled to begin at 5:00. abc 7 news is following all developments as they happen. you can get alerts right on your phone, just download the abc 7 news app. >>> new at 11:00, authorties in the east bay are investigating a crash involving a chp officer. the officer was on a motorcycle that collided with a car just before 9:00, sky 7 was over the scene in richmond and this is ularbound hospital as a precaution. that officer is expecte

. >> and i'm janai norman in for diane macedo. >>> we begin with the clock ticking down for the woman who accuses supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh of sexual assault. >> republicans say professor christine blasey ford must decide by tomorrow morning if she will testify on capitol hill come monday. now, they've rejected her request for an fbi investigation and president trump is now casting doubt on her story. abc's zachary kiesch is tracking the developments overnight. good morning, zachary. >> reporter: good morning to you, kendis. republicans sent a message to christine blasey ford on wednesday. on some level the overarching theme to this woman who says she was a victim of sexual assault, show up to testify or we will head to a vote without your voice. republicans are moving ahead with the hearing monday to consider sexual assault allegations against brett kavanaugh and have given his accuser a friday deadline to decide if she will testify. >> we're not going to cancel any hearing until the last minute. >> christine blasey ford alleges that brett kavanaugh tried to sexually assa

>> janai norman for us. thank you. >>> next to the harrowing high-speed chase on a texas highway. the driver, a woman, leading police through traffic until she crashes into another car. then the shocking moment she takes a baby in a carrier out of the backseat. abc's stephanie ramos on what happened next. >> reporter: tonight, frightening new video of a woman's high-speed getaway from san antonio police. >> grey mercedes, on u.s. 90, an infant in that vehicle. >> reporter: you heard right, there is a child in that car. police say the woman going at least 100 miles per hour. >> almost struck another vehicle. >> reporter: weaving in and out of traffic in june, after police pulled her over for a traffic violation. watch highway patrol throwing out spike strips, but even that doesn't stop her. >> went offroad, looks like she's about to wreck. no, she's still got it. >> reporter: the mom driving right into oncoming traffic. she blows through a red light. racing down the road. >> still at a high rate of speed. >> reporter: -- until she rams into the back of that truck. but it's not over

janai and kendis? >> kenneth, our thanks to you.just over a week to avoid a government shutdown. president trump is demanding more money for his border wall. he called the spending bill ridiculous in a tweet and asked, where's the money for border security? during last night's rally, the president complained again that democrats were getting in the way but he stopped short of threatening to shut down the government. >>> and stocks opened this morning at an all-time high. the dow and s&p 500 both said records. tech, banks and health care accounted for much of the run and a growing u.s. economy is expected to keep the rally going despite the tariff battles with china and others, asian markets are also higher this morning on the good news. >>> former trump attorney michael cohen has acknowledged that he is providing critical information in the russia investigation. >> he tweeted about his cooperation last night after abc news reported that he spent hours talking to robert mueller's team. here is abc's brad mielke. >> hey, guys. you mig

he's warning about the power of this storm and janai norman has the latest on the preparations. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. mandator way in south carolina while others are also encouraged to evacuate parts of virginia and north carolina to get out of dodge ahead of the hurricane. already a category 4 storm. hurricane florence is prompting evacuations along the east coast. >> this one looks you go liriaso >> reporter: more than a million people are leaving low-lying areas. >> candles, flashlights, food, liquor, gas. beer. cat food. >> reporter: long lines lingered at gas stations as people waited to hit the road. highway 17 in north carolina already backed up for miles. >> we do know that we're in the bull's-eye. north carolina is taking hurricane florence seriously. and you should too. get ready now. >> reporter: south carolina is preparing to reverse directions on highways, all lanes of interstate 26 from charleston will be heading away from the coast to help accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people evacuating eight counties there. >> it's going to be inconv

i'm janai norman in for diane macedo. >> and i'm kendis gibson.e'll start with the major developments in the confirmation battle for supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. his accuser is willing to testify under certain circumstances. >> sources say professor christine blasey ford wants the hearing pushed back and she's demanding kavanaugh testify first. overnight president trump praised his nominee and seemed to reject the idea of a delay. linda lop lynda lopez joins us. >> reporter: they're negotiating with christine blasey ford's lawyers about when and how she'll testify. meanwhile president trump weighed in on his supreme court pick at a campaign rally overnight, still standing by his nominee. at a rally in las vegas, campaigning for senator dean heller president trump sending strong support out to judge brett kavanaugh. >> brett kavanaugh is one of the finest human beings you will ever have the privilege of knowing or meeting. >> reporter: though the nominee is being called to testify in front of the senate again to answer sexual assault accu

. >> and i'm janai norman in for diane macedo. we begin this labor day with a tropical threat and much of the country bracing for severe weather. >> the gulf coast is on alert as the storm gathers strength and tropical storm watches are posted in three states running from the florida/alabama border to louisiana. this morning a weather threat looming off florida's coast. the system that will likely become a tropical storm is taking shape and heading toward the gulf of mexico. the fast-moving storm is gaining strength and forecasters fear people could get caught off guard. >> we need everybody to let their friends know because folks are on vacation and don't know it's happening. >> meantime, on the east coast, more rain. up to 5 inches in maryland led to multiple water rescues. outside baltimore crews suspended the search overnight for a missing woman, 34-year-old melissa lehew and her boyfriend were helping a stranded driver when rushing water swept her away. >> it pushed her legs under the guardrail a little bit and her head was b

our janai norman in washington, d.c. our thanks to that. we do want to get to sam. he's been reading through some of the information and i can hear him over my ear just saying -- and also not good news. >> it's not good news. again, everybody just stay in place. i to a lot of people trying to sleep through the night are waking up and joining us now, so the latest information we have a cat 1 storm, 90-mile-per-hour storm in the center of the storm. it is -- the hurricane center is saying that the eye may -- part of it may wobble onto shore but a good part of the circulation will probably stay offshore. just like we've seen for the past few hours, and that could put us all in the same situation for many, many, many more hours with the storm barely moving, barely crawling, not really getting onshore so we can disrupt the flow and basically if the center of the storm is still in the water, then it has everything it needs to still be spinning. when part of it moves on land, then that spin gets disrupted and that's when you start to see the weakening of the storm. they ex

janai?eciate it, brad. >>> coming up, it is a different take on garden of eden. >> meet the nuns whose life calling is to grow and sell pot. next. calling is to grow and sell pot. next. are you taking the tissue test? yep, and my teeth are yellow. time for whitestrips. crest glamorous white whitestrips are the only ada-accepted whitening strips proven to be safe and effective. and they whiten 25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. ...from far away. but they harryonly see his wrinkles. if only harry used some... ...bounce, to dry. he would be a less wrinkly, winning guy. i >>> welcome back. so with the legalization of marijuana in many states, cannibis cultivation in those states is soaring. >> deep in northern california is an unlikely group of women who believe they are now doing god's work by growing weed. here is abc's juju chang. >> bless our food and bless our folk and keep us in your grace. >> reporter: prayer, ministry -- >> lead the

janai, thank you very much.ate it. >> appreciate it. >>> let's get another check of the forecast from sam champion, with the salmon shirt on. and -- >> salmon? >> salmon or light pink, he likes to call it. >>> it has been a debate. i call it pink. vote online if you would like. let's deal with the tropics right now. the atlantic hurricane season has been fairly quiet for us. and that's good news. but the peak of the season is about september 10th. we have two areas to watch right now. we'll start with tropical storm florence as this draws off into the atlantic. it takes a lot for a storm to get from the african coast to the u.s. coast. and this one is just going to spin up into the atlantic right now. we'll continue to watch that storm. here's one we have to watch more carefully. this is a tropical wave along the turks and caicos, but this will continue to drift and it's in an area that is not favorable for development right now. it's getting kind of moved around by some pretty strong winds. when it moves into t

janay norman has the latest developments. >> in the "gma" first look the father of mollie tibbetts, thea college student found dead weeks after going out for a jog is putting partisan politics on blast. in a scathing op-ed in the "des moines register" rob asked the death of his daughter allegedly murdered by an undocumented immigrant not be used to promote various political agendas or advance a caution cause she vehemently opposed writing at her eulogy i said mollie was nobody's victim or a pawn in other's debate. he comments a rebuttal to donald trump jr.'s own opinion piece in the same publication arguing democrats have a heartless and despicable response to mollie's murder, writing they are more concerned with protecting their radical open borders agenda than the lives of innocent americans. more on rob tibbetts' response at 7:00 a.m. with your "gma" first look, i'm janay norman, abc news, new york. >>> texas law enforcement show a high-speed chase involving a woman and her baby. chopper video with audio from state troopers. >> at least 100 miles an hour. the highway patrol. went off

and so far republicans have the votes to do it janai norman, abc news, washington. >> and back here now it's happened again. thieves targeted another bay area apple store this afternoon. this time it happened in downtown los gatos. sky 7 flew above the store on north santa cruz avenue. police tell us three men stormed into the store, ripped merchandise off the tables and dashed back out the front door. you're now looking at self-of similar crimes inside apple stores in corte madera. they have hit in burlingame and berkeley. police are working to see if the thefts are connected. >>> well, also new at 6:00, presentation high school president and former principle mary miller has resigned after many allegations she mishandled student sexual abuse claims against staff. in a resignation letter to the board, miller says the allegations continue to be a distraction to the school and she hopes her absence will bring some peace and i a lou the staff to focus on the success of the students. the attorney who represents former students applauds miller's resignation and says true change cannot occur

janai norman, abc news, capitol hill. >> we talked with professor roy little from uc hastings college could happen next in the hearing process. he said as much as democrats may want to delay the nomination, he thinks republicans will be able to push it across the finish line. >> putting it off until the mueller investigation, putting it off until the midterms, i think doing it carefully is important because it's such an important vote. he is going to change the 5-4 majority on some things. but i don't think numerically they have the votes, and i don't think legally there is an argument to stop it. >> senator chuck grassley tweeted that tomorrow he expects judge kavanaugh to answer questions about his judicial record and qualifications. now as the confirmation process continues, rely on the abc 7 news app to get the latest information. it will come in handy. download the app from the play store or on the apple app store and enable push alerts. >>> an abc news/washington post poll out shows the widest midterm advantage since 2006. the poll shows a 52-38% preference for democrats over re

janai norman, abc news, washington. >>> hearings for brett kavanaugh came to an end there today.eard testimony from character witnesses both for and against kavanaugh's nomination. former nixon white house counsel john dean claimed kavanaugh would be the most friendly in the modern age. >> he would immunize sitting presidents from civil and criminal liability. under judge kavanaugh's recommendation, if a president shot somebody in cold blood on fifth avenue, that president could not be prosecuted while in office. >> ted olson, the former solicitor general under president george w. bush testified that kavanaugh is well qualified to sit on the supreme court, calling him thoughtful, gracious, open mind and possessing a great legal mind. >>> four family members who operate chain of care homes in the bay area are facing charges of human trafficking tonight. state investigators showed off an arsenal of illegal assault weapons that they say were seesz seized while agents were serving arrest warrants at rainbow bright day care and adult care facilities. they say they exploited hundreds o

here's abc news reporter janai norman. >> reporter: washington and the white house are still reelingnew york times" op-ed written by an anonymous author, identified only as a senior administration official, the times saying revealing the person's identity would cost them their job. the anonymous -- we've we've wee do what we can while thwarting mr. trump's most misguided impulses. >> if you're not interested in helping the president, you shouldn't work for the president, as far as i'm concerned. >> the president needs to be accountable, but he doesn't need to be torpedoed from inside. >> reporter: the unnamed official is saving the country from president trump, even claiming that cabinet officials have whispered about invoking the 25th amendment to remove mr. trump from office, but no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. the official writing, americans should know there are adults in the room. this isn't the sew-called deep state, it's the work of the steady state. >> follow this white house, nobody should be really surprised at anyone who's had any -- with the white ho

janai norman is live in washington, d.c. ama, we haven't seen fireworks today like we did yesterday during brett kavanaugh'sfiat y less contentious. protesters chanted, yelled and interrupted day two of judge brett kavanaugh's supreme court confirmation, but that didn't stop senators from getting down to business. >> you are a republican, is that true? >> i register -- >> okay, you work for a lot of republicans, like the president. >> yes. >> for hours senators grilled the e mor issue he was facing, abortion. >> i understand the importance people atatach today roe v. wad decision. i don't live in a bubble. i live in the real world. >> reporter: a top concern for democrats is where he stands on presidential powers in the event the supreme court hears cases related to the president like the mueller investigation. he previously wrote presidents shouldn't be burdened by civil litigation, criminal investigation and possible prosecution. >> can a sitting president be required to respond to a subpoena? >> my understanding is that y

." ♪ >> so janay knows the entire words -- >> i thought everybody did. really?> just one bar. >> at aretha's funeral. ♪ and west philadelphia born and raised ♪ ♪ on the playground is where i spend most of my days ♪ chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' ♪ ♪ shootin' some b-ball ♪ when a couple of guys who were up to no good ♪ ♪ started causing some trouble in the neighborhood ♪ ♪ i got in one little fight, my mom got scared ♪ ♪ said you're moving with your uncle and auntie in bel-air ♪ ♪ >> not bad. >> happy labor day, everybody. >> if you thought having your son was the only sort of labor -- >> no kidding. >> this is a whole different one. >> oh, goodness. >>> we're going to start with the weather spoiling this unofficial final day of summer. >> residents of florida and the gulf coast are battening down the hatches as a tropical depression is forming. if it becomes a tropical storm, it will be named gordon. whether it strengthens or not, that region is in for heavy rain. >> flights in and out of the area may be canceled. >> reporter: much of the country's bracing for s

here's janai norman. >> reporter: tonight, retail giants are sounding the alarm. bracing for price hikes, warning american consumers could bear the brunt of new tariffs. 10% goes into effect monday, ahead of more early next year. >> the concern is, if the tariffs go up in 2019, prices could go up. >> reporter: price increases could impact everyday items like food, furniture, backpacks and bicycles. hundreds of retailers asking the administration to rethink the plan. experts say price increases won't be seen immediately. as stores already stocked up their inventory months ago. and holiday prices should be largely unaffected. but the national retail federation saying the administration continues to advance harmful tariff policies that threaten to weaken the u.s. economy. we can't afford further escalation. especially with the holiday shopping season right around the corner. the major retailers didn't say how much they expect the prices to go up. but experts say if you are thinking about making a big purchase, buy sooner rather than later so the price hikes don't hit

abc's janai norman with more. >> confirmation hearing on the nomination of -- >> mr.>> mr. chairman. >> reporter: there were calls to end judge kavanaugh's hearing even before it began. >> we believe this hearing should be postponed. >> reporter: protesters chimed in. >> this is a tragedy -- >> reporter: the hearing became so chaotic kavanaugh's daughters were escorted out. >> this is the first i've seen according to mob rule. >> reporter: democrats claiming they couldn't do their jobs of evaluating the nominee with so much missing, like 100,000 pages the white house blocked access to. republicans say they have more than enough, especially after an additional 42,000 pages were dropped the night before the hearing. >> that's 7500 pages per hour. that's superhuman. >> you've taken the unorthodox position that presidents should not be burdened with a crimi >> i do not decide cases based on personal or policy preferences. a judge must be independent, not swayed by public pressure. >> reporter: senators say they haven't seen anything like what unfolded yesterday. but they

here's janai norman. >> reporter: day three of brett kavanaugh's confirmation hearings getting off to. [ yelling ] >> reporter: democratic senators joining that resistance, taking their own dramatic stand. senator cory booker releasing confidential e-mails from kavanaugh's years inside the george w. bush white house ignoring senate rules. one of those e-mails dealing with racial profiling following 9/11. >> i accept the konsiences of my team relea >> reporter: other democrats standing with booker. >> count me in. >> count me in, too. >> reporter: but republicans saying it was all for show. the documents had been released. democrats then turning to abortion. and an e-mail he wrote about roe v. wade. it reads i'm not sure that all scholars view it settled law of the land since at the supreme court level they can always overrule the precedent. democrats asking if that was a hint he'd overturn it. >> it was referring to legal scholars, i think my comment in the e-mail is that may be overstating the position of legal scholars. >> reporter: another topic, how kavanaugh might handle any matt

where is janay norman. is maggie busy tomorrow? what's up?ete, and he found something that was used years and years ago. the 12th or 13th century. >> wow. there we go, the -- byzantine era. >>> check this out, the world's largest skateboard, people, it made the guinness world book of records at 35 feet. and just if you're thinking who would be crazy enough to ride that thing, those people. it measures eight feet, eight inches wide, three feet tall. or 7 feet 5 inches that's reese witherspoon tonight dare to dream big. on friday, sept 7th, join stand up to cancer for all the inspiration all the laughter kevin heart if you change one letter in 'cancer' it becomes 'dancer', what!? all the stars tom hanks keep this movement going strong. every network every star kevin bacon dream big with us. one night to save lives get ready to see it all tune in live friday, sept 7, 87c eight year dease was when all the light went out. for me, it was heart-wrenching. look into the eyes of somebody with alzheimer's sometime, you just don't see -- the person's so