once again, ryan smith. >> i would like to thank everybody for attending tonight. a toast to prosperity and the future. salud. >> reporter: happy memories for mario and the casciaro clan, older brother eugene's big italian wedding. but good times were in short supply for this family. jerry and maria casciaro, italian immigrants, met and married in the states, realizing their american dream when they joined with relatives to buy val's foods. >> you know, he didn't have anything given to him. he came to this country, built what he had from the ground up. >> reporter: in an age of superstores, val's thrived in the small town where a night out is spent at a bowling alley or a pizzeria. nearly every family in the village shopped there, so many of the local kids worked there, and for the casciaro's, the future was bright. those dreams, now tarnished by tragedy and grisly rumors about missing stock boy brian carrick, believed to have been killed inside the store's produce cooler. >> one of the persistent stories is that brian was killed in the cooler. mario called family

here's abc's ryan smith. >> public shaming as a blood sport has to stop. >> reporter: monica lewinski standing in the spotlight, but this time it's on her terms. >> a few of you may have also taken wrong turns and fallen in love with the wrong person. unlike me though your boss probably wasn't the president of the united states of america. >> reporter: in a t.e.d. talk titled "the price of shame," she describes the pain she says she felt after being ridicule sod publicly. >> i was branded as a tramp. tart. slut. whore. bimbo. and, of course "that woman." 17 years ago, there was no name for it. now we call it cyber bullying and online harassment. >> reporter: how today she's determined to no longer tiptoe around her past. her infamous affair. 17 years ago with former president bill clinton. >> i did not have sexual relations with that woman. miss lewinski. >> reporter: not only played out in the press -- >> january 26th 1998 -- >> monica lewinski meets with her lawyers. >> reporter: it was one of the first scandals to play out online. >> i was patient zero of losing a personal reputati

i was chatting with ryan smith. love to hick is brain on the legal stuff.pered with this could be admissible in court. >> but you hear him offcamera. interesting to frufprove. >> true. ryan smith on gma later today. look forward to his report. what he has to say. >> overseas. moscow a brik out at one of the most visit add tractions. flames. engulfed. from the late 1600s. started on the wood that was surrounding the building. it was the scaffolding that suffered worst damage. >> to a burning question across russia. where is vladamir putin. the normally ubiquitous president has been seen in public, hasn't been seen in public for ten days. rumors are just running wild. on friday the kremlin announced that putin would meet with the president of kirk stancemonday. will he show up. >> raging for four years with no end in tight. three british teens arrested after trying to reach syria to fight with isis. abc's alex marquardt has the details from london. >> reporter: the latest sign that as the war against isis intensifies, their recruiting is only growing. british

>> ryan smith with us. ryan, thank you. >>> now, to a first in the race for president in 2016.the first major candidate saying he wants the job. republican senator ted cruz of texas, announcing on twitter, tweeting out, "i'm running for president." and today, we heard what he's promising no abortion gay marriage, no gun control. and he told our jon karl today, he will appeal to far more than just conservatives. >> reporter: texas senator ted cruz practiced for his big moment, rehearsing the wave with his kids, even the kiss with his wife. and today, when he took the stage for real cruz made it official with the flair of a televangelist. >> i believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of america, >> reporter: in a twist on the old john lennon song, cruz told the crowd to imagine a purely conservative presidency no abortion, no gay marriage, no gun control, no irs and -- >> imagine in 2017, a new president signing legislation repealing every word of obamacare. >> reporter: so, who is ted cruz? he's an uncompromising conservative

here's abc's ryan smith. >> the shot to win it -- got it!er: it's like a fever that comes every year. everybody knows someone who gets it. even the folks on "30 rock." >> sure there are times when my job is frustrating, like when lutz calls in sick with march madness. >> reporter: the sickness all bosses dread. march madness. under ncaa tournament time 14% of fans taking a sick day just to watch part of it. and 56% of american workers admit to spending least one hour of their workday following games. on the ncaa's live feed there's even a boss button. hit it and it looks like you are had at work. of course the easiest way is to make watching the tournament your job. like nate silver the numbers guru behind 538.com. >> you get in trouble if you don't watch the tournament. so >> reporter: so, all of this is a ruse to watch the games every day. >> no people can bet on it right? >> reporter: nate says kentucky has 40% chance of wink it all. >> 40% chance is as good as you're going to do. if you are filling out a bracket this year i think it's pr

ryan smith, abc news, new york. >>> coming up, they're taking orders for this blast from the past. how a muscle car from the '60s is making a comeback. our "instant index" is coming up. cialis for daily use is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any symptoms of an allergic reaction stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. ufferers. one tried the newest allergy spray which could take several days to feel the full effect of reli

i'm ryan smithment. >> he sure is. i'm reena ninan. we are all wondering what happened with this crash. we didn't want the worst fears to be true that this in way could have been on purpose. >> the investigators say the co-pilot intentionally flipped the switch to bring the plane down as the locked out captain tried to break down the cockpit door. passengers screaming moments before impact. more from abc's david kerley. >> reporter: the first pictures coming in from the ground. searchers looking for remains, bagging evidence of this apparent horrible act of evil. a tragic end to what was supposed to a normal flight. a 10:00 a.m. take off from barcelona. everything seems normal. the cockpit voice recorder shows a friendly conversation between the co-pilots. then the 27-year-old co-pilot andreas lubitz is less jovial. his answers short. the jet hit cruising alt tut 38,000 feet. the captain asked the co-pilot to take over presumably to use the bathroom and he leaves the cockpit starting the ten minutes

. >> i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. more revelations today. we begin with the gut-wrenching revelation in the french alps. investigators shocked the world by announcing it was no accident. >> heart breaking to hear this. investigators say the co-pilot a 27-year-old german citizen deliberately brought down the plane. they believe he was conscious to the end. as the captain pounded on the door to get in, screams could be heard from passengers just before the plane slammed in to a mountainside. for more here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: the aftermath of what officials say was this man's horrific decision still scattered in the french alps and how investigators are going through andreas lubitz's home in germany trying to figure out why the co-pilot of germanwings flight 9525 brought the plane down killing everyone on board. >> forced us to come to the conclusion that the flight was deliberately crashed. >> reporter: the cockpit voice recorder capturing it all. investigators say as the plane hits cruising altitude, t

. >>> we're so happy to have ryan smith back in for ron. >> good morning, paula, dan, good morning to you. >>> we begin with terrifying moments aboard two separate flights. both jetliners with landing gear problems. passengers on one flight told to put their heads down and brace themselves. tai hernandez has more. >> brace, brace! >> reporter: two plane scares in the sky. both make emergency landings. >> brace, brace! >> reporter: both have problems with landing gear. one was go-jet flight 3645, a regional jet flying from grand rapids to chicago-o'hare. the pilot announcing the plane's front wheels wouldn't deploy and to brace for landing. >> the pilot did an amazing job in landing us. a baby was screaming. but everyone else was pretty calm. >> reporter: meanwhile, united 3870 also forced to turn around. captured on tape, a tire blows out during takeoff. terrified passengers clutch their seats. a passenger films them preparing for the worst. >> it was kind of scary. the impact was pretty noisy. the plane shook a little bit. but the pilot did great job keeping everything going straight

i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. >> i'm roone that ninan. here's some of the top headlines on "world news now." >>> march roaring in like a lion across "america this morning" with brutal winter storms marching across the plains in to the northeast, dumping snow rain freezing rain and ice. details straight ahead. thvrchts morning's "wall street journal" says hillary clinton will announce her white house bid next month. this is sooner than advisers had originally wanted but clinton apparently wants to jump start fund-raising with a goal of a billion dollars. >>> a sky diver wearing a camera captured another parachuter suffering a series sur your. the man who suffered the seizure came in to midair and landed safely. >>> a perfect launch for a spacex rocket from cape canaveral last night. the rocket is carrying two commercial satellites in to orbit. those are some of our top stories on monday, march 2nd. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now." >>> well good monday morning to you. we begin with another one-two punch for the northeas

tomorrrrow, a much n >> an announcement from ryan smith. he's heavy pregnant right now.ook fantastic. >> spanx, right? >> man spanx. pan spanx. >> respect they called manx. >> probably not. anyway coming up on "gma," new developments in the mysterious death of a nurse in texas found floating in her swimming pool. police initially thought it was an accident. why they're now thinking it was more sinister. >>> plus surviving a bear attack. a family reliving its horrifying encounter with a ferocious grizzly. a preview of "in an instant." >>> a new controversial scientology documentary. why leaders of the church don't want you to see it. coming up on a basis saturday. keep it here. >>> "good morning america" is brought to you by mcdonald's. we're in latin america to taste some great coffee. oh that's mccafé. bienvenidos! mccafé is a blend of 100% arabica beans from regions like this, expertly roasted for a smooth, rich flavor. mmm i can almost taste it. that's the aroma of perfectly brewed mccafé. (slurp) sorry, couldn't wait. i'd love it if i could brew this at home. now you

. >> and we want to say that we are happy to have ryan smith in for ron today. y off every now and then. >> that's right. >> great to have you here, ryan. >> great to be here. i can feel ron's presence. dan, paula, good morning. >>> we begin with a major ice cream recall now linked to three deaths. texas-based ice cream giant blue bell has stopped production and distribution of several products linked to a deadly foodborne illness. five patients were treated at a kansas city hospital -- kansas hospital after eating ice cream products from blue bell's brenham, texas, headquarters. three of the patients do you. the fda is urging consumers to check your freezers. if you have any of these eight products in your home, do not eat the ice cream. >>> the state department temporarily shut down parts of its e-mail system after a massive security breach believed to have been linked to russian hackers. the planned outage is affecting parts of the department's unclassified computer network. the shutdown comes amidst the the hillary clinton e-mail scandal. the former secretary

here's ryan smith. >> reporter: they will face attempted first-degree murder charges. and tonight, it remains in adult court. all to please fictional internet character, slender man. but the victims' parents, speak speaking exclusively with david muir say they are focused on their daughter's well-being. >> it's about making sure payton feels she can move on and feels safe. with no fear. >> reporter: just last month, we heard from the girls for the first time. >> she was my only friend for a long time. >> why would you hurt your only friend? >> it was necessary. >> reporter: both of the girls were granted separate dates. they could face a lot less time if charged as under age. >>> and scientology under fire in a new documentary covering tom cruise, and nicole kidman. >>> and the mystery lottery winner. the answer is right there in front of you. he won 1$1 million so why can't he get his money? >>> and the contestants that bombed on "jeopardy." even alex trebek was shaking his head. e of infection by going under, around and through the nail. most common side effects incl

. >> i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. he's on assignment. i just came back from miami where it was 75 degrees. >> why did you return? >> i don't know because it is in the 20s outside. >> it is pretty awful. it took me three hours to get in to the office on i-95. >> oh, my goodness. >> we were going about 25 miles an hour. >> on that note, let's talk winter storms because they are all over the place. >> they really are. the latest winter storm hitting the northeast and yet another one cuing up right behind it. >> fresh snow is adding to the winter misery in new england with boston, get this, already at 8 1/2 feet this winter. just under six inches across from the all-time snowfall record and another storm is on track to hit the northeast tomorrow. our coverage begins now with abc's cecilia vega. >> reporter: weary travelers are wondering if they will get home. 5,000 stuck at the dallas-ft. worth airport alone. it's mind-boggling. >> reporter: as snowplows struggle to keep roads clear, drivers had trouble staying ahead of the weather. >> this

ryan smith, abc news, new york. >> this is a holiday. don't bother me on thursday and friday.a mess in here on friday. >> you warned me a month ago about this. >> yes. i take vacation days. i normally take vacation every year to sit at home on the opening weekend. thursday, friday. sit at home. don't bother me. watch every game. >> why are people so into this? >> because this is a spectacle in sports. it's one of the greatest spectacles in sport because of the unpredictability of one and done. no matter how good you are, you could be gone. and everybody, no matter, if you know the game or don't know the game, we're all equal when we fill out a bracket. yours is just as good as the experts' or anybody else's because this is unpredictable. >> i picked four teams -- six teams yesterday that are not -- >> not even in the tournament? >> i picked my alma mater. >> how do you do that? >> g.w., university of florida, university of miami, university of south florida. >> we'll work on her, folks. she's -- she'll be fine. she'll be fine. >>> you know, "dancing with the stars.” >> love it

. >>> good thursday morning, i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. >> and i'm reena ninan. the latest on the airliner crash in a moment. first an extreme weather outbreak overnight. >> the power system is on the move. you can see it on the radar stretching from texas to indiana already producing at least three huge tornadoes. >> oh, [ bleep ]. >> this powerful tornado flipping a tractor trail i on a highway in moore, oklahoma. >> a car passenger captured the moment with the powerful twister passing in front of them. clayton sandell has the latest on the severe weather. >> oh we got another one. >> reporter: the heart of tornado alley is in the firing zone. tornado sirens blaring as the skies over oklahoma erupt. camera after camera capturing the rotating clouds small vortices twisting on the ground and sometimes full-scale tornadoes. moore, okaylahoma, already seeing the damage. >> we'll show you the garage blown in here. the windows are also blown in. the roof taken right off this house. >> reporter: reports of debris scattered across town. this woman in her truck as it fl

i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. >> i'm reena ninan, we begin with a one-two punch from old man winter. >> the northeast will catch a bit of a break after the latest winter storm finally moves out to sea but another storm is on the way. >> in the west a storm is moving across southern california. nevada and arizona. bringing heavy rain, possible flooding and heavy mountain snow. abc's susan saulny kicks off our coverage. >> reporter: march is bringing no sign of spring to several states from the south to the midwest and the northeast. more freezing rain. more snow and more ice are creating travel nightmares. >> i'm over it. >> i don't want anymore. i'm tired of this. >> reporter: the sound of spinning tires was heard throughout the landscape of englewood new jersey thanks to a slick coating of snow. >> the roads are terrible. i skidded all over the place and i was scared to go up hills because i was scared of getting stuck. >> reporter: to people died after the driver lost control on an icy overpass. plunging

i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. >> and i'm reena ninan. we begin with the plane crash investigation into the french alps which now appears to be a mass murder. >> we have all angles covered including new details about the co-pilot who investigators believe deliberately took down the plane. >>> and searchers are beginning another day of work sifting through the mangled wreckage. >> plus cockpit safety coming into question. what's being done to reduce the risk of this happening again. >> team coverage beginning with molly hunter near the crash site. good morning, molly. already a very busy morning there. >> reporter: it is reena and ryan. helicopters are busy taking crews up to that crash site. but the overwhelming question on everyone's mind this morning is why. this morning an up close look as the grim work goes on. searchers looking for remains and clues on this steep treacherous slope. all that's left of germanwings flight 9525. officials say this man, 27-year-old co-pilot andreas lubitz locked 9 pilot out of the cockpit and deliberate f

here's ryan smith. >> reporter: tonight, a wisconsin judge ruling the two will face attempted murder trials. and tonight, it remains in adult court. leading their friend into the woods, stabbing her 19 times, and leaving her for dead. all to please fictional internet character, slender man. the ruling leaving parents in tears. but the victims' parents, speaking exclusively with david muir, say they are focused on their daughter's well-being. >> dough -- do you they they should be charged as adults? >> it's about making sure payton feels she can move on and feels safe, with no fear. >> reporter: just last month, we heard from the girls for the first time. telling investigators about their victim. >> she was my only friend for a long time. >> why would you hurt your only friend? >> it was necessary. >> reporter: but now, if convicted in adult court each faces up to 65 years in prison. both of the girls were granted separate dates. they could face a lot less time confinement up to 25 years if convicted in juvenile court. >>> and scientology under fire in a new documentary covering tom c

abc's ryan smith tonight. >> reporter: tonight, new england patriots owner robert kraft took center stage. while the owner and the star player were once close -- >> he used to always hug and kiss me. >> reporter: kraft told prosecutors he heard rumors about hernandez's involvement in the killing of semi-pro football player odin lloyd, and confronted the talented tight end in the weight room. >> you asked aaron to look you in the eye, didn't you? >> yes. >> and he did, didn't he? >> yes. >> and you asked him if he was involved and he said no. >> that is correct. >> reporter: and in this trishlgs some of those closest to hernandez could be sealing his fate. his fiance may have bolstered prosecutors claims of a coverup. they allege this surveillance video spokes how hernandez enlisted her to get rid of the gun the day after lloyd was killed. >> he told me to go downstairs in our storage room and remove a box from our home. >> reporter: jenkins testified she never looked inside to see what he asked her to throw out. >> and ryan is with us now. the big question tonight, will coach belichick be

here's abc's ryan smith. >> reporter: darren sharper is a convicted felon, agreeing to plea deals forugging and raping women in multiple time states he pled no contest in los angeles to raping two women he met in bars in 2013 and 2014. >> you will stand convicted of each and every one of these charges based on your plea of no contest just as though in fact you had pled guilty. do you understand this? >> yes, sir. >> he pleaded guilty to sexual assault countries in arizona by video link and sentenced to nine years in prison. he is charged with nine rapes in four states allegedly committed after his playing days. they say time and again he slipped drugs like zolpidem also known as ambien in to victim's drinks after a night out and assaulting them while they were unconscious. he will face similar hearings in las vegas and new orleans next month. >> his lawawyer said he is expected to serve a little less than nine years with no chance of early release. when his stances are handed down he is expected to serve them at the same time. ryan smith, abc news new york. >>> coming up the hidden tr

i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. >> i'm reena ninan. >>> good morning. i'm ryan smith in for t.j.>>> chaos in the cockpit, unconfirmed reports this morning one of the pilots was locked out of the cockpit of the doomed germanwing. a live report coming up. >>> dramatic video of a tractor-trailer being blown over in oklahoma. evidence of the powerful storms and tornados that roared across that state killing at least one person last night. full details coming up. >>> the army sergeant who walked away from his post in afghanistan and was held captive for five years faces serious charges this morning. bowe bergdahl is charged with desertion and misbehaving before the enemy and could get life in prison if convicted. >>> kraft foods and ketchup giant heinz are merging to form a $28 billion company. behind the deal investor warren buffett. those are some of the top stories on this march 26th. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now." >>> we begin this half hour with the investigation in to what brought down the germanwing's flight. >> new details are surfacing about the moments

and ryan smith, executive director of the education trust west. they're an advocacy group. welcome to all of you. so glad you're all here. >> thank you. >> we just heard from these incredibly articulate, smart, thoughtful people. they talked about guns and jobs and race and police. what stood out for you? what really jumped out as something that struck you? >> you know, the thing that jumped out is the contradiction in these young people. they are extraordinary. but they're also ordinary. i mean this is the typical young person in oakland. and it's extraordinary because people have a very different impression of our young people. and i think anybody who had a lower expectation shame on you. i think these young people are very much typical. >> it's interesting the young man who said, you know, i'd celebrate if i get to 22. >> michael. >> yes michael. i have a birthday coming up. i remember actually becoming 23, 24 and a lot of the young men and myself saying, wow, we made it. and that being an indicator of success for young black men. and the sad thing is if you look at youn

abc's ryan smith has the story. >> reporter: nascar could be facing its own version of deflate-gate. from some of the sport's biggest stars sunday. the concern, that some teams could be deflating their tires on purpose. possibly using a technique called bleeding. poking holes in them to slowly release air. improving tire durability and helping drivers get the ideal grip on the track. now, racing stars like jeff gordon speaking out in favor of the inspections. >> it's very interesting to me that nascar is investigating this further. it's definitely being done, it's just not clear on how it's being done. >> reporter: nascar telling abc news overnight that tire inspections are frequent and not unusual. this is the third time in two weeks that nascar has taken away top drivers' tires for inspection. confiscating the wheels of joey logano and kevin harvick two weeks ago. their tires coming back clean. nascar then taking the tires of eight more crews over the last eight days. including kurt busch and logano again. >> in the past we don't really hear about them inspecting tires but with the

here's ryan smith. >> he called in sick with march madness. >> bart simpson gets it.around tournament time 14 percent of fans taking a sick day just to watch part of it they follow games on the live feed even a boss button. hit it hard at work. the easiest way to make watching the tournament your job. like nate the numbers guru hyped this. >> get in trouble if you don't watch the tournament. >> this is basically a reduce to watch the game notch peep people can bet on it. >> kentucky 40 percent chance of writtening -- winning it all of writtening -- winning it all. >> 40 percent chance if you fill out a bracket it's probably the smart thing to pick kentucky. >>reporter: don't get caught cheering for them at work. cheering for them at work. he. >> forty-niner roster continues to be depleted theyless another linebacker counting on for the 2015 season. l we have decided to call it quits after just one year in the league. i was a bit shocked at the decision but understand the rationale >> coming up tonight on 7 news at 11:00. 400 percent rate hike? is that legal? tonight t

here's abc's ryan smith. >> reporter: he's the eccentric real estate sky yon who made national headlines1982 cross-dressing and skipping bail along the way. he was arrested for the murder of a neighbor in galveston, texas, in 2001. claiming self-defense he was acquitted. >> the jury finds the defendant robert durst not guilty. >> reporter: his story now profiled in the current hbo documentary series "the jinx." >> did not tell the whole truth. nobody tells the whole truth. >> reporter: but as robert durst now jinxed himself? abc news learning the 71-year-old now facing a re-opened investigation in los angeles into the 2000 murder of his former friend susan berman. an investigation that could be bolstered by the show itself. like this never before seen letter that berman's stepson says durst sent to her a year before her death. >> it was clear enough i might be dancing with the devil. >> reporter: he says it appears eerily similar to an anonymous note sent to police the day berman died. a letter authorities say only berman's killer could have written. >> the address written on the front i

ryan smith, abc news, new york. >> i haven't seen it. but it's fascinating.ay he got away with murder. so, why would you even -- a documentary might get him back in court. >> there's a podcast called serial. and it's a similar concept. have you heard that? >> i heard a lot. haven't seen it. >> a lot of people into that. >>> coming up, wild, saving moments caught on tape. life-saving moments. >> you're seeing part of it. >> a police officer hopping into a car with a suspect trying to escape. the scene on dash cam video. you'll see all of it, next. >> ann ♪ >>> all right. police dash cam video from ♪ >>> all right. police dash cam video from wisconsin, showing a police officer that jumped into a car with a suspect to get out of harm's way. >> once inside the car, things didn't get much easier for the bold cops. nick bohr, from our milwaukee station, has the story. >> this is 76 and layton and the vitamin shoppe lot. >> reporter: it started with a greenfield officer suspicious of a car parked with the engine running. >> he's on patrol. and seeing a car with the

hereer here now abc's ryan smith. >> reporter: nascar could be facing its own version of deflate-gateires from some of the sport's biggest stars on sunday. the concern that some teams could be deflating their tires on purpose. possibly using a technique called "bleeding" poking minuscule holes in them to slowly release air, improving tire durability and helping drivers get the ideal grip on the track. now racing stars like jeff gordon speaking out in favor of the inspections. >> interesting to me that nascar is investigating this further. it is definitely being done. it's not clear how it is being done. >> reporter: nascar telling abc news that tire inspections are frequent, and not unusual. something officials recently discussed on nascar radio. >> we have got regular-scheduled audits we do throughout the year. we have done it in the past as well. >> reporter: this is the third time in two weeks that nascar has taken away top drivers' tires for inspection. confiscating the tires of joey logano and kevin harvick two weeks ago. their tires coming back clean and more crews over the last