making news in america this morning, controversial comment. president trump's vulgar slur about immigrants from haiti and africa. >> this remark by the president of the united states smacks of blatant racism. >> new fallout from the remark and what the white house is saying this morning. searching for survivors following those massive mudslides in southern california. new images of the damage as authorities increase the number of missing and the storm that caused it all marching east bringing snow, rain and strong winds. deadly flu season. cases surging across the country. >> really don't want my kids to get the

what doctors say if you haven't gotten the flu shot yet. the first guest, david letterman's new show launching overnight. >> i've been waiting for this for quite a long time. ladies and gentlemen, my next guest, the 44th president of the united states of america. >> what former president obama says about running again. plus, the sweeping change coming to facebook. why a man is running a marathon backwards and how a foul mouth gives you a bigger boost in the gym. good morning. i'm maggie rulli in for diane macedo. >> i'm kendis gibson. we start with what some are calling a racist comment by the president. >> the president asking why are we having all these people from expletive countries come here?

fierce. lana zak has more. >> reporter: good morning to you, kendis and maggie. these comments seem to echo those reported by made by the president earlier in the month which he said all haitians have aides and nigerians won't go back to their huts. the white house at the time denied those comments vehemently but it is a different story today with some within the white house thinking that this will play well with the base. the white house is not denying the president's comments characterizing some countries with a curse word. sources tell abc news that when lawmakers at the white house briefed president trump on their daca immigration plan his response to restoring protections for immigrants from haiti and several african countries was, why are we having all these people from expletive countries come here? proposing instead that the u.s. should bring in more people from countries like norway. it was a setback to the daca immigration plan. >> we have no agreement with the president. >> reporter: but it was also a

president. outrage swift. here's senator richard blumenthal on abc. >> this remark by the president smacks of blatant racism, the mode odious and insidious racism masquerading as immigration policy. >> reporter: mia love calls his words as divisive and said about her parents they worked hard, paid tacks and rose from nothing to take care of and provide opportunities for their children. the president must apologize. the white house shows no sign of back-pedaling. their official response president trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation. and on twitter the president pointed blame at his political opponents writing in part, the democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country. and the backlash has gone global. former mexican president vicente fox used that

describe mr. trump's mouth and know the president of haiti called america's top diplomat for a meeting today. kendis, maggie. >> lana zak, thanks so much. the president is raising eyebrows with comments about the leader of north korea. >> trump telling "wall street journal" i probably have a very good relationship with kim jong-un. the president refused to comment about whether he's actually spoken to or met kim. publicly the president has called kim little rocket man as well as twisted and depraved. and the president has confirmed that he will not be going to london next month to open the new u.s. embassy. there was concern that a trump visit would lead to large protests in london. overnight he tweeted reason i canceled my trip to london is that i am not a big fan of the obama administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest ambassador in london for peanuts. only to build a new one in an off location for $1.2 billion. bad deal. wanted me to cut ribbon, no. turns out, though, the

steps towards relocating the u.s. embassy in london were made in october of 2008 when george w. bush was president. well, crews are racing to find the victims of the california mudslides hoping some who are still missing may have left the montecito area on their own. but rescuers are fearing that the worst is going to happen. here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: from above, that incredible before and after. >> see this area with this home and pool and what's left. absolutely nothing. >> reporter: in the thick muck swamped mess surround the nearly 600 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed by this week's mudslides in southern california, an urgent search. >> looking for human remains. >> reporter: hundreds of first responders and volunteers also holding on to the last shreds of hope that the missing may be found. >> i've lived through fires, earthquakes, i've never seen anything like this. this is devastating. >> reporter: that devastating rush of fast-moving water, mud and boulders. >> oh,

>> reporter: that tore through communities in santa barbara county. >> wake dad up. >> reporter: killed at least 17 people. >> i know people already personally who have died. >> reporter: the youngest. >> kaley benitez, 3 years old. >> reporter: 12-year-old sawyer cory, her sister morgan and rebecca riskin. her son returning to her mud pummeled home. >> i hope she knows that i was giving everything i could to find her. >> reporter: as time starts running out for these teams to find others. marci gonzalez, abc news, burbank, california. >> a major winter storm has 120 million people in its path. parts of the northern plains could see up to two feet of snow. pushing bitter cold temperatures into the midwest and in front of that heavy rains will soak the south as well as the major cities of the northeast. let's take

>> good morning, we're talking about a major storm in the northeast. big concern for the i-95 corridor is wed weather that is going to lead to flooding but with cold air plunging in behind the system we'll have a changeover to ice and even some snow for the interior part of the northeast. when it comes to snowfall amounts the highest totals close to the canadian border. could see upwards of a foot and a half in some spots. with your accuweather forecast i'm meteorologist julia weiden. the new york city subway bombing suspect has entered a plea. he told a judge from his hospital bed that he was at this moment not guilty. he's accused of setting off a pipe bomb in an underground subway passageway. he was the only one person seriously injured in the december 11th attack. the

change coming to facebook. and also, coming up, teens putting laundry detergent pods in their mouth. the new warning from doctor as the new challenge goes environment. caught on camera. one driver's amazing recovery

facebook is making some sweeping changes to its news feed. it wants to encourage more meaningful interactions between family and friends. over the next few months users will see less public content from business, brands as well as media. facebook has faced growing criticism over content and whether it is a negative influence on users. there is a disturing trend for teenagers eating those colorful tide

part of the tide pod challenge teens are putting the pods in their mouths and posting the videos on social media. some videos even feature the teens cooking with the pods. the american association of poison control center says there is an increase of teens misusing the pods and getting sick from them. the pods should never be eaten. walmart is raising wages and giving thousand dollar bonuses to some workers. starting wages for new workers are now $11 an hour, a $2 increase. at the same time, walmart is closing 63 sam's club stores across the country. the move likely means that thousands will be out of jobs. some stores closed abruptly on thursday with workers and customers only finding out when they showed up and found locks and signs on the doors. at least 12 stores will become e-commerce distribution centers. some workers could apply to other locations. fiat chrysler is using the new tax overhaul to reinvest in

to revamp its plant in warren, michigan, moving thousands of jobs from mexico. some 2500 new jobs will be added and it says it'll pay $60,000 to each u.s. employee, a reported bonus of $2,000 apiece. and a warning from ford. if you're driving a 2006 ranger pickup truck, stop driving it immediately. ford is blaming a second death on a detect fifth takata air bag. about 3,000 on the roads are at risk. dealers are prepared to come to you to get the vehicle with a loaner if necessary to fix the problem. all right. when we come back, new details about the governor of missouri after admitting to an affair. why there's criminal investigation now involving him. and how dr. oz helped save the life of a passenger on his flight. ! more nights in... more gooey cheesy dishes.

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watch carefully. the silver car in the middle nearly collides with that white car, spins out at a high speed, but wait for it here. >> oh, my gosh. >> the driver makes a picture perfect recovery without a scratch on anybody. hollywood might want to sign him up. all right, now we'll move on to that sex scandal involving missouri's governor, a rising republican star. >> the state's top prosecutor is investigating claims that eric greitens blackmailed a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair. he allegedly took naked photos of his hairdresser and threatened to reveal them if she spoke publicly about their relationship. greitens admits the affair but denies taking naked photos and the blackmail allegation. he's also denying a claim that he slapped the woman. at least two democratic lawmakers have called on him to resign. we're expecting to get an update from the cdc later this morning on this season's deadly flu outbreak. well, this year

already blamed for dozens of deaths with widespread illnesses across 46 states. alabama is the latest state to declare a state of emergency and an entire school district in idaho has closed until monday. this after nearly 40% of its students were out sick this week. doctors are urging everyone to get a flu shot right away if you haven't already. and it was dr. oz to the rescue when a passenger collapsed on a cross-country flight. according to page 6 oz was heading from new york to las vegas when a flight attendant asked him for help. a 30-year-old passenger had collapsed. dr. oz kept an eye on him until the plane landed. it's believed the man had a bad case of the flu. not the first time dr. oz has stepped in to help. a few years ago he saved a woman who was struck by a taxi. well, we know of at least one runner in this year's boston marathon who probably won't be seeing the finish line. that's because he plans to run the race backwards. he's already taping to backpedal the

the streets of boston. he says people who watch him not only think it's a bit unusual. >> the number one thing i hear is you're going the wrong way. the majority of the records have to do with different costumes, so -- i was thinking, you know, i don't want to run a marathon dressed as a frog. >> he checked the guinness book of world records. he says the current mark for running backwards is slower than his best forward time so seemed like a good plan. >> seems to make sense. the nfl playoffs resume tomorrow afternoon. by the end of the weekend we'll know the league's four final teams. >> but first some of last night's hoops highlights from espn. good morning, it's "sportscenter" from los angeles. i'm stan verrett. let's begin in the nba. problems for the cleveland cavaliers. they lost five of seven on the way to toronto to meet the raptors for the first time this season. remember, they swept them out of the playoffs last year but norman powell wide open knocking

toronto hit 18 threes in this game. pascal going right to the rim. lebron james animated in the huddle but cavaliers are down 27 in the third. tries to pass to crowder. ball goes off a defender's leg and see james, cavaliers give up 133 points and they lose by 34. college basketball, arizona taking on oregon state. pac-12, early second half, arizona down by one, de'andre ayton with the steal. alonzo terror over ethan thompson. check out the bench when we see dunks like that following oregon state possession, raleigh altkins and wildcats take it 62-53 over oregon state. that's all from here. now back to you.

david letterman's new show hits netflix overnight. his first guest, barack obama. what the former president says about running for office again. plus, the revelation about what alabama was missing that makes their win over georgia even more impressive. i have type 2 diabetes. i'm trying to manage my a1c, and then i learn type 2 diabetes puts me at greater risk for heart attack or stroke. can one medicine help treat both blood sugar and cardiovascular risk? i asked my doctor. he told me about non-insulin victoza®. victoza® is not only proven to lower a1c and blood sugar, but for people with type 2 diabetes treating their cardiovascular disease, victoza® is also approved to lower the risk of major cv events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. and while not for weight loss, victoza® may help you lose some weight.

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but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. ♪ okay, time for your friday "pulse." we'll start with two of the most famous retirees in the world. >> the first episode of david letterman's new netflix series started streaming with letterman and president obama. >> his first question, what was your first day like, not as president? obama says he slept in. >> i don't blame him.

the former president addressed the idea of running again. >> let me just say this, that if it were not for the constitution, there would be michelle. no, no, no, no, no. you guys are misunderstanding me. what i'm saying is i'm prevented from running again by the constitution. but even if it were not for that amendment, michelle would leave me. >> constitution, wife. letterman also told obama a story about when he met the ex-president's daughter. >> i go over and i say, you don't know who i am. i know your mother and father. my name is dave letterman and i'm very happy to be here at the party and thank you for inviting me to the party. and she says, yeah, you look like a guy who really knows how to

>> obama did not mention president trump. he did warn against getting your facts from twitter. >> interesting and he also talked about being in the zone and dancing and getting some daddy dance moves. >> keep it in the pocket. >> it appears alabama overcame more than just a 13-point deficit to win the national championship. >> just two days before monday's game against georgia, the crimson tide's defensive line coach left a backpack inside the hotel. one of the items is the playbook. >> the playbook did still missing. they have the image of the guy who stole it. was it the same who stole tom brady's jersey last year. about at first you don't succeed, try, try again. well, now rapper 50 cent is getting his chance to try again. >> you might remember this.

that first pitch four years ago, the team is giving him a second shot tweeting hey, 50 cent, we heard you're ready to redeem yourself. here is your invite to throw out a first pitch this season. toss a strike this time. >> he said he tried to throw the pitch too hard. that's why it all went wrong. that was why. >> that's it. >> no word yet if he's accepting the offer. >> oh, well. moving on now and foul words at the gym may actually boost your workout. a new study found cursing during a 30-second stationary bike test gave participates a 5% increase in power. >> they say the profanity may boost tolerance providing a lawg this morning after president trump's profane comments on immigration. during a meeting in the oval office, a bipartisan group of lawmakers talked about extending deportation protection to immigrants from haiti and certain african nations. in response-- the president questioned why the u-s wld

immigrant from "expletive-hole" countries. instead, the president hoped for more immigrants from places like norway. the outrage was immediate. we will have much more on this story, and reaction to the president's comments, in just a few minutes. president trump also making news overnight for something that he is not doing. the president announcing on twitter that he is canceling an upcoming trip to london-- because he objects to what he called obama-era deal concerning the u-s embassy there. in really, the embassy deal happened during the

his comments came shortly after the guardian reported the visit had been called off over the possibility of widespread protests. good morning washington. good morning washington. toss to eileen - feeling like spring today (60s); back to winter tomorrow (30s) - have the umbrella today; gusty thunderstorm possible tonight with the front - temperatures crash overnight - cold & dry for the mlk jr. weekend today: unseasonably warm. rain likely. highs: 64-67 winds: s 5-15 mph tonight: rain likely. gusty thunderstorm possible. tumbling temperatures. lows: 30-37 winds: nw 10-15 g 30 mph

blustery. highs: 34-37 winds: nw 10-15 g 30 mph right now--

the search for the missing after deadly mudslides in montecito, california grows more desperate. 17 people are confirmed dead and more than 40 people are inaccounted for. the youngest victim -- just three years old. tuesday's mudslides destroyed or damaged about 500 homes and businesses. it's already been an extreme -- and deadly flu season. but, a california family says their daughter died -- after being misdiagnosed with the flu! the 12-year-old's mom says doctors told them their daughter had the flu and sent them home with ibuprofen. but she didn't get better -- and by the time she went back to the doctor, it was too late. it turns out -- she had a viral infection, not the flu. the family says they have no plans to sue... but want to see better te

prevent similar tragedies. unhappy with something on your next flight? american airlines has a new policy to help make it up to you. the airline is giving flight attendants the ability to compensate passengers with frequent flier miles -- on the spot! the airline has always given away miles to make up for on-board issues, but until now -- angry passengers had to file a complaint to get them. a couple flying from pennsylvania to florida ran into trouble before they got on the flight. it happened when a tsa officer let the cat out of the bag. literally. take a look. a six-month old cat -- found in a suitcase. the tsa in erie saying the "slim's" owners packed him in checked baggage. good news -- slim is just fine... and is now in the care of the humane society. the couple was cited with transporting an animal in a cruel manner. it's xx and we're just getting started. coming up- president trump-- lashing out on

president trump-- lashing out on immigration. and his comments shocking many on capitol hill, and beyond. we have the latest on the growing firestorm. good morning washington. - feeling like spring today (60s); back to winter tomorrow (30s) - have the umbrella today; gusty thunderstorm possible tonight with the front - temperatures crash overnight - cold & dry for the mlk jr. weekend today: unseasonably warm. rain likely. highs: 64-67 winds: s 5-15 mph tonight: rain likely. gusty thunderstorm possible. tumbling temperatures. lows: 30-37 winds: nw 10-15 g 30 mph saturday: decreasing clouds. drastically colder. blustery. highs: 34-37 winds: nw 10-15 g 30 mph