awards. she won eight awards including one for top artist. the evening capped off by a hard to see and hard to hear performance by kanye west. those are some of our top stories on this monday, may 18th. >> from abc news this is "world news now." >> good morning. we begin this half hour with that severe weather stretching some 1200 miles across the middle of the countries. >> as storms here dumping torrential rains and spawning dozens of tornadoes, this morning flash flooding is still a major concern. let's start our coverage with rob marciano. >> violent storms bringing rain and rescues. >> this man and this woman are in this home that is totally surrounded by water. >> including this one in johnson county texas. unfolding on live tv. first responders using a drone to send a rescue line to a stranded couple. then paddling toward them in a rescue raft. homeowner bill talking to dallas station wffa. >> they're trying to figure out how to get the boat over here. >> reporter: the sound of debris waking them up. that current too swift. a national guard helicopter called in lifting them to safety. flooding causing problems all the way to missouri. residents there urged to evacuate outside of kansas city. this after a tornado outsfwlik across the road. >> 30 reported from texas to minnesota. and kansas the storm blowing this 34-car freight train right off the tracks. >> oh jesus. >> back in oklahoma softball sized hail destroying this windshield. the system leaving a trail of damage in its wake. residents east of tulsa facing the clean-up ahead. >> as soon as we hit the floor, in the hallway, the whole house started shaking >> megan wilson describing huddling in this house as a tornado tore through. destroying their garage. she and her mother grateful to be alive. >> we lived. we lived through it. >> reporter: the rain across north central texas has stopped at least for now. behind me you see the red river on the texas, oklahoma border just that red and muddy because so much water is trying to train down stream. its in flood stage. the river expected to rise cresting on monday. rob marciano gainesville, texas. >> from a stormy weekend to a stormy workweek. look out for watches and warnings today. >> yes for that let's turn to meteorologist paul williams. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, too. right now, we have the same storm system that caused havoc over the weekend and produced scattered showers and thunderstorms and tornadoes has now lifted to north. we'll see widespread thunderstorms throughout a good portion of the ohio valley region. to the south warm humid air feeds in from the gulf of mexico and those storms will meet and a feeding frenzy will happen. scattered showers and thunderstorms turning severe possibly even tornadic. t.j., marci. >> turning now to secretary of state john kerry. he's confident about the fight against isis despite this week's violent advance in iraq. the city of ramadi fell yesterday as forces abandoned their weapons and vehicles. the prime minister is ordering the armed forces in anbar province not to abandon their posts. >> a deadly crash involving the marines in hawaii. one killed and 20 others sent to the hospital after their aircraft made a hard landing and burst into the flames. they're based at camp pental in california but in hawaii on a training mission. >> a star b.a.s.e. jumper is dead. dean potter and another jumper graham hunt were attempting a 75 hundai scent from tap's point wearing wing suits but the jump was tricky and they had to try to clear a notch. they were jumping late at night, possibly because b.a.s.e. jumping is illegal in national parks. >> amtrak service is assuming this morning for millions of people who travel between philadelphia and new york. the trains will be running for the first time since last week's tragic crash that killed eight people and injured 200 others. after interviewing the engineer investigators are playing down reports that a projectile may have hit the train just before it derailed. >> now to that bloodbath in a texas parking lot. a deadly confrontation breaking out between rival motorcycle gangs. nine birks were killed and 18 injured as the fight spilled out at a busy shopping plaza. it was a wild scene with gang members it wielding knives bats and chains before opening fire. one officer calling it one of the most gruesome crime scenes he has ever seen in more than 30 years on the job. >> on the part of the criminal biker gangs, they were involved in shooting at each other. >> and police were tipped off about the confrontation. they say lives wer saved because they were already in place. bystanders or officers none were injured. >> a possible break in the killing of four people in their exclusive washington, d.c. home. investigators released surveillance video of a person of interest. gloria rivera has the latest. >> reporter: investigators are asking for the public's help in solving a chilling crime that ended in this massive d.c. house fire on thursday. inside the bodies of wealthy businessman sa an vas sa vop loss his wife amy and it's believed their youngest child and a long time house keeper. >> there were injuries discovered appeared to be blunt force or sharp on the injuries. police releasing this surveillance video showing a hooded figure. authorities want to know if that person has any connection to the family's 2008 porsha found torched and abandoned in maryland. residents in this upscale neighborhood reported nothing out of the ordinary recently. but in a voice mail given to police and obtained by abc news mr. sa vop loss describes is wednesday night at their home. >> it's sa va. amy is in bed sick tonight. >> the housekeeper he says on the message will help overnight but her phone died. she doesn't have her charger and i don't have a charger that fits her phone. >> he lets the housekeeper's family know she won't be coming home that night. on thursday morning, a woman who says she also worked for the family tells abc amy sent her an unusual text to stay home. >> so many questions. police do say they are investigating this as a homicide. and not a murder/suicide. also they say that fire intentionally set and no signs of forced entry. gloria rivera abc news washington. >> we turn to the vatican where pope franciscan onized four nuns on sunday. two nuns from what was 19th century palestinian. palestinian president mahmoud abbas and more than 2,000 christian pilgrims were there for the ceremony. the move is seen as a token of vatican support for christian communities in the middle east. >> there could be two more candidates in the crowded republican primary. lindsey graham is promising an important update to his 2016 plans later today. graham formed an exploratory committee back in january and he has said he's 90% sure he's running. and sources say ohio governor john kasich is also likely to get in the race. the governor has said his wife and dots have given him the green light to run. he is not expected to announce for another couple of weeks. already running are ben carson, carl i fiorina, marco rubio, rand paul and mike huckabee. >> we've got a big accomplishment now for a chicago man who spent ten years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. jared adams just received his law degree from loyola university after he was convicted of rape at the age of 17 he studied law and writing letters till he was exonerated. he dedicated his accomplishment to his mother and aunt who stood by him while he was in prison and others who encouraged him along the way. >> it was like look sit down. i'm in here for the rest of my life for something i didn't do. you are in here for some absolute bull crap with no evidence. and you're not going to fight to get out? and so it really woke me up. >> adam's professors were impressed with his outlook on life saying he didn't let his past define him. he wants to defend the wrongfully accused. good for you, young fellow. >> there is a world record for everything. a new world record hats been set this weekend in australia for dogs wearing bandanas. bet you didn't know there was an old record. they actually broke the existing record. that's what the teleprompter says. it must be true. the australians on the million paws walk they more than doubled the number of dogs wearing scarves in canada last year. >> there were 764 dogs more than 1,000 owners. it raised money for the preveks of cruelty to animals. i'll take it. >> it is a good cause. there was -- these are the notes they give us. this there was a miniature pony there. hard news, folks. >> you got the pony there. >> up next here folks, ivy league. i couldn't get into one ivy league school. but somebody got into several. >> did you try. >> i knew better to even try. why waste the paperwork. but some -- one kid is saying no to all the ivy league schools. a star student's decision about higher education, ends up going, you're not going to believe where the kid wants to go instead of to ivy league. this is great. >> finding a hopeful future in the troubled city of baltimore. see who is guiding children and starting early to set an example. >> and later classmates discover that they have moral than a thing or two in common. the long lost sisters separated at birth. they find each other in college. that's coming up on "world news now." 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what are you guys doing? making sure nothing sticks. otherwise, we gotta scrub all this stuff off. huh, what? nobody thought of this before? what's wrong with people? dish issues? not with improved cascade platinum. it powers through... your toughest, starchy messes... better than finish's best... the first time. as if your dishes were non-stick. cascade. now that's clean. take a look here folks. these apartment tenants, this is near birmingham. they're without a home right now trying to get their lives back together. they were caught in this dangerous fire. you can see the video kind of on the right side of some of it. people had to jump to safety out of that window up top. and police officers actually there to catch them. so he helped break that fall and helped rescue some folks. some of them suffered minor injuries as they jumped from their balconies but escaped with their lives trying to escape those flames. >> rescues of a different kind happening across baltimore. recent riots revealed deep tensions there, but there is a glimmer of hope. >> innovative program is helping students build for their future. here is abc's pierre thomas. >> growing up in inner city baltimore can be tough. >> yes yes. >> since the riots park issed by freddy gray's controversial death agent less than a month ago, 25 people have been killed another 43 shot. but make no mistake, in baltimore, there is hope. volunteers and parents working hand in hand to make sure kids have a chance. it's after school on wednesday and these ten youngsters aren't going home they're going to the educational and support program bridges at st. paul's school just outside the city limits. there they'll find tutors and most importantly people who listen and care. >> it helps you be a better person. >> you learn new things every day. >> if you want to understand what the program really means, mean renee johnson who raised her kidsa single mom. >> every time i talk about bridges i start tearing up. a city child doesn't have like a lot of options of stuff to do. it's either sit in the house or basically go outside and get in trouble. and bridges is a life saver. >> for her daughter while senior tarika parker the challenge of inner city life is sometimes inescapable. >> it's no getting around it. you're in the middle of everything. >> since 2005, bridges has worked with nearly 200 students starting in third grade. it's a year round effort. even in somers activities are tailored to students' individual needs ranging from academics to sailing. >> we do math reading, we go on field trips every week. >> for the 4th and 5th graders we met on wednesday, there were sports reading >> getting myself into the other end of the pool. >> and help with homework. >> our goal is to stick with these students to the end of high school. and make sure that we deliver them and having some great opportunities for their future. >> most students make it. >> i'm going to college. >> a class of 20 in elementary school typically retains 13 to 17 young people through the end of high school and last year with everything is a.t. prep and college guidance 11 of 13 seniors in the program went on to college. tarika is on that track this year. she's going to williams college on a full scholarship and a dream. she wants to become a doctor having worked in a nearby hospital last year thanks to bridges. her friend is also going to college. and he has this piece of advice for younger kids in the program. >> cherish each moment. not everybody gets a chance like this. just like take key moments of it and see how that will impact you in the future. >> i am right here. >> in baltimore, hope bridging challenges. pierre thomas abc news. >> that's a great story to see coming out of baltimore. >> it really is. >> i spent a lot of time in a lot of communities similar to that kid just looking for an opportunity. that's all they need is a chance and somebody to give a damn. >> give them the guidance they need and stay with them every step of the way. >> great stuff. coming up another remarkable high school student to show you. got accepted into every single ivy league college. >> of all the top schools he could have chosen to attend he went in a totally different direction. some say it may be his smartest move yet. all right. graduations in high gear right now. now is the time high school graduates are finalizing their college choices. >> one young man is turning heads over where he's decided not to go to school. none of the nation's eight elite ivy league schools ta accepted him. here's abc's boz i kanani. >> ronald nelson is senior class president, near perfect standardized test scores and oh, yeah that's him conducting his high school band. so it's not surprising his college acceptance letters are piled high. what is surprising? >> i decided to go to school at the university of alabama. >> the 17-year-old from germantown tennessee rejected all eight ivy league schools instead accepting a full ride to join the crimson tide. >> i wanted to be able to evaluate my options and come to the right decision that would benefit both me and my family. >> he says the ibe have is did offer some financial assistance but he and his parents still would have been stretched to pay the rest. with plans to go to graduate school, he decided that brand name degree just wasn't worth it yet. >> i really think i'll be able to get just as good of an experience. >> while some have questioned his decision nelson's parents, teachers and advisors are all in support, after all, he has made some pretty good choices in his life so far. boz i kanani abc news washington. >> it's really smart avoiding that student debt. >> dag gum it he's a smart kid. sharp cookie. but you hate that a kid who earned his way into all eight ivy league schools is priced out of it. you hate to hear that there's not some way. >> he probably could have taken out student loans. he just took the smart way of not getting into debt. >> he did the right thing you. just hate he had the opportunity. >> we'll be right back. >> he's a sharp cookie though. leftovers. the unsung hero of meals. they get re-heated. re-nuked. and re-baked. and when leftovers are done... there's always stuff left over. new dawn platinum power clean calls dibs on those. it powers through tough, dried-on messes in seconds. even 48 hour stuck-on food. so go ahead, triple that recipe! a drop of dawn and grease is gone. ♪ this is how we do it ♪ >> ♪ this is how we do it ♪ ♪ south central does it like nobody does ♪ ♪ this is how we do it ♪ >> bellas pulling ahead at the box office. turning to a pair of real life sisters growing up without each other. interesting discovery on their first day of writing class. >> they say something seemed very familiar. they found out a lot more than they could have ever imagined. lindsey janice. >> it's a tale these twoels story tellers would never have imagined. 35-year-old valverde and 34-year-old katie olson met at columbia university on the first day of a creative writing class. introducing themselves. >> we were going around the table doing just sort of like the generic what's your major sort of introduction. >> after class, katie asking lizzie so many questions. lizzie supered katie might know her younger sister. >> yeah i think i am your sister. >> when she said that, i just froze. >> both women were adopted as babies by different families olson growing up inrida and iowa. what questions were you asking each other. >> all kinds of things do you like chicken wings. >> do you have a weird pinky toe. i have a 0 weird pinky toe. >> next week lizzie graduates. it will be the first time they meet their biological mother. >> both amazing beautiful women. i'm looking forward to seeing both of them. i've never seen janie in person. >> for these wordsmith sisters a story better than fiction. >> this story, your true story, could you make it up? >> absolutely not. if i workshoped this in a fiction class, i would be run out. there's no wa>> linsey janice abc news new york. >> kind of remember i read this article over the weekend. i think one of the sis tirs had been looking for information about her past and knew she had a sister somewhere out there. so she was a little aware. it wasn't just like do you like chicken wings, we must be sisters. >> how is that possible you just happen to walk into the class with your long lost sister. >> it's interesting because their birth mother i guess was interested in writing, as well and so that they both happened to meet in a writing class, they have that shared interest. >> like she said you can't make this stuff up. >> seriously. that's the news for this half hour. >> you can follow us on facebook at wnnfans.com. this morning on "world news now," fatal gunfire. the bullets flying at a texas restaurant as a dispute between rival biker gangs turns deadly. dine kerz inside taking cover. >> they are all unscathed. i saw bullet holes in cars. >> how a fistfight escalated into a battle involving knives and firearms. >> cyberscare. fbi investigates claim that a computer security expert hacked into the flight controls of a commercial airplane. what he says he did and how investigators are weighing in. ♪ >> and later, the dazzling night for recording artists from van halen to taylor swift who captured all the attention at the much anticipated billboard music awards. it's monday, may 18th. >> from abc news this is "world news now." >> good morning, everyone. on this monday i'm marci gonzalez. reena ninan is on assignment. you thought you were rid of me. no such luck. >> it always happens. sometimes things keep coming back. you know you think you're rid of them they just -- >> that's not the response i was going for, thanks. >> marci was wit last week. we said bye on friday. we hugged it out and thought it was done. >> i missed you. i'm back. >> so welcome back. i'm not going to say bye to you today. >> fair enough. >> because i anticipate you'll be back tomorrow and then the next day. it's always good to see you. thank you so much. we have to begin, my goodness a shoot-out in texas. a bloody deadly brawl in waco. we're talking about rival motorcycle gangs battling it out in the parking lot of a busy shopping center. families all over the place. >> nine bikers killed 1 wounded. some of them were shot by police who had been warned about the confrontation. no bystanders or police were hurt but at least 100 people detained. abc's jim ryan is there. >> motorcycles crammed the parking lot of the twin peaks restaurant in waco texas. now nine of them have no owners after a shooting among five rival biker gangs turned to carnage. a brawl with knives bats and chains boiled over in into a shooting match. >> gunfire broke out on part of the criminal biker gang. they were involved in shooting at each other. >> i just got a call from passer by. they were going by divine peaks, thought they heard a gunshot, looked over and saw people running >> our officers moved in. our officers did fire. so we have officers that are involved, as well in shooting some of the biker gang members. >> reporter: eight were confirmed dead at the scene, a ninth victim pronounced dead at the hospital. police reported 18 others were injured. all the dead and wounded were gang members. >> let's say it was sunday and somebody was looking out for us. 25 feet 350 feet away was a restaurant full of family members. they are all unscathed. i saw bullet holes in cars. >> the parking lot teeming with law enforcement who warned people to stay out of the area in case the fights entitled over into new battle grounds. police say they've made several arrests in connection with the bloody violence. jim rain wakeio texas. >> the other major story we're following this morning is a deadly marine air crash in hawaii. one marine was killed and 21 others sent to the hospital after a hard landing. they're based out of camp pendleton in california but in hawaii on a training mission. they were flying in osprey which can take off and land like a helicopter but flies like an airplane an. and a small plane crash in texas killed a family of four. surveillance video shows the single engine piper bursting into flames as it nose dived into a parking lot. it crashed just north of san antonio. the cause isn't known this morning. the couple killed in this crash would have celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary on thursday. >> a possibly really dispushing event in the skies. a new problem for anybody who flies here we need to think about. hackers. a computer security expert is claiming to have taken over a united plane's engine controls and made it briefly fly side ways. abc's kendis gibson has more on this story. >> reporter: the fbi investigating a frightening possibility. a hacker attack on more than a dozen flights across the country. the troubling claims outlined in a newly released fbi affidavit claiming denver computer security experts chris roberts told investigators he not only infiltrated inflight entertainment systems on planes 15 to 20 times but at one point he caused one of the airplane engines to climb resulting in a lateral or sideways movement of the plane. the affidavit saying roberts told investigators as a passenger he broke into the plane's inflight entertainment systems through boxes under seat. >> it's something the government has said is a problem. >> last month roberts traveling from united tweeting about the airplane's system causing the fbi to be alarmed. after landing, fbi agents immediately seizing more than a dozen electronic items. >> the after the saying agents found the box on that plane show signs of tampering in the location where he had been seated. >> roberts spoke to fox after last month's incident about hacking into the maeps' wi-fi. >> it is definitely difficult. it takes a lot of work it takes a lot of research and you have to typically be on quite a number of flights. >> the federal sources tell abc news they believe it's extremely unlikely that someone could hack a plane's control system while in the air. roberts tweeting over the last five years, my only interest has been to improve aircraft security. now the fbi hoping to scrub through all of his electronics to see how close he really got. >> because if he can, there are plenty of other people out there in the world who would have reason to damage or to bring down an airplane. >> now inted airlines telling abc news they are confident the claims are unfounded. roberts in the meantime has not been charged with a crime. kendis gibson abc news los angeles. >> a well-known b.a.s.e. jumper is dead after an accident at yosemite national park. dean potter and another jumper graham hunt attempted a nighttime wing suit flight off of taft point. that's a 7500 foot overlook. their bodies weren't found until the next morning. b.a.s.e. jumping is illegal in national parks which may be why they jumped at night. wing suits add surface area to increase lift. >> many attract resuming service from philadelphia to new york this morning. as the investigation continues -- officials and first respond others gathered yesterday for a moment of reflection a short distance from the crash site to honor the dead and wounded. a bell tolled as philadelphia's married the names of the eight people killed. >> let us recognize we still have many patients in the hospital. we have families who are burying loved ones. today is about respect for all of them. >> the automatic control system that's technology that could stop a speeding train is now fully operational on the northbound tracks where the accident happened. >> and turning to the stormy weather, it was a rough weekend for the central plains. south of fort worth, texas, emergency personnel used unmanned drone to get a rescue line to a family surrounded by floodwaters. a national guard helicopter then flew them to safety. there were a does other water rescues in that area from both vehicles and homes. and strong storms in kansas between wichita and kansas city this weekend damaged homes and knocked over train cars. that freight train was stopped at the time. some of the cars were carrying ha hard dus fears but the spill was quickly cleaned up. at least five tornados and widespread damage be were reported. there were no significant injuries and no one was forced to evacuate. another five tornadoes were lorted on the other side of kansas city causing severe wind damage. winds were as high as 127 miles an hour. several homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed. trees uprooted and vehicles overturned. no injuries reported there. accuweather's paul williams looks at the storm threat today. good morning. >> you too, t.j. marci. what'sal continue to happen through the midweek, the jet stream positions itself perfectly. to the south, a classic storm setup with the warmer and cold front coming in behind it causing the thunderstorms to kick off. on the other side who invited jack frost to the party? no kidding. in the midst of may watching out for widespread frost and freeze to occur reaching into minnesota and to the dakotas even just starting to nip the northeastern corner of nebraska and that cold air will ainge change ow how it feels and combine that with the low pressure system possibly giving us a couple of morning snow showers. marci, t.j. >> paul, yes, who incited jack frost to the party? paul thank you so much. want to turn now to our exclusive interview with elian gonzales. he made headlines nearly 16 years ago just as a little boy. he's a grown man now. back then he was just rescued off the coast of south florida, a trip his mother did not survive. there was the big custody dispute between the u.s. and cuba. he was returned to cuba to his father. he sat down with jim avila for his first interview as an adult. he had a message for everybody here in the u.s. >> i want the time to give my love to american people. >> you hear that? he wants to give love to the american people. he's now 21 years old admits he lost a bit of his english skills since he returned to cuba in 2000. you'll hear more about his past present, his future. we'll reveal video never seen before. our coverage starts on good morning america coming up later this morning. >> st. louis cardinals fans were focused on more than the field this weekend. fans took out their phones cameras, and set a guinness world record by simultaneously taking 4,296 selfies. >> all right. that's a new record for most selfies taken at one time to encourage the crowd here someone who knows a thing or two about records, eight-time nathan's famous hot dog eating champion joey chestnut. he tossed the game's first pitch also. there's a record for everything. >> there is. this is part of a contest they're doing all summer for the best selfies. you can win prizes. it's not just about the vanity. >> what makes a good selfie? >> i don't know. i guess you're not going to win this if you don't know the. >> kim kardashian i assume has the -- she has a whole book of selfies. >> i wonder if he's disqualified or allowed to compete. >> producer in our ear enough about kardashian. the soccer game that went downhill fast. yeah sporting event on a ski hill like nothing you've seen before. >> also ahead a described as a professional plaintiff, we are catching up with a guy accused of suing more than 100 businesses. see who's fighting back. >> recording artists gather for a night of razzle-dazzle. who razzle dal dazzle? who wrote razzle-dazzle? nobody wants to take credit for that. the huge party and why taylor swift got so much attention. >> you can find us on facebook cwnn fans.com and on twitter @abcwnn. you're watching "world news now." leftovers. the unsung hero of meals. they get re-heated. re-nuked. and re-baked. and when leftovers are done... there's always stuff left over. new dawn platinum power clean calls dibs on those. it powers through 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off a bridge. this is in northwest indiana. the driver though was the only one on board. police in gary say he missed a turn got a section of the road still under construction. he was rescued taken to a hospital. injuries described as nonlife-threatening. the bus though is a bit of a mess but still good to hear he's going to be okay. >> incredible. >> now to a man with a long list of lawsuits against small business owners over alleged disability violations. >> a lot of them just settle to make it go away reportedly paying out thousands of dollars. others fighting back. here now abc's mara schiavocampo. >> those seen as a dog show kneeling and twirling with a huge dog. veteran carl barnum the third says he's disabled and has sued more than 100 small business owners for allegedly violating the people with disabilities act. people like there hit with a $21,000 suit for violations as the one of his buildings. >> i would fight so the he doesn't get a penny. >> barnum does get plenty of change from others settling most cases. our los angeles station kabc estimating that's brought him roughly $360,000. critics calling him a professional plaintiff. kabc reporter mark brown catching up with him in southern california into do you make your living suing people. >> i would suggest you talk to my attorney. >> so what is barnum's disability. >> according to the veterans administration he's 40% disabled 10% due to a knee injury. the rest ringing in the ears sinus sites and athlete's foot. it lists additional disabilities. still most businesses settle till now. several owners including this man fighting back and winning. one judge finding barnum did not meet his burden of proof on the issue of disability. barnum's lawyer says that dog show left him in pain for weeks and tell us barnum is working for the good of the disabled community. mara schiavocampo abc news new york. >> coming up it is music's biggest party. the most talked about moments from the billboard music awards the winner and the hottences from las vegas. >> also some tenants that refused to leave. they're not paying rent anymore either. how is it possible that the law is on their side? that's in our next half hour on "world news now." ♪ don't you forget about me ♪ ♪ ♪ don't, don't, don't don't you forget about me ♪ >> love that song. simple minds. 30 years later with the song that spoke for a generation. of course, that's don't you forget about me the hit from the iconic film "the breakfast club," of course one of the many big moments at last night's billboard awards. >> brandi hitt has all the highlights from the awards including the night's biggest winner. >> taylor swift. >> a big night for superstar taylor swift. >> thank you so much. >> swift won several billboard music awards including top me mail artist and top 200 album. she premiered her music video "bad blood." >> one direction. >> one direction took home top duo or group and top male artist sam smith accepted his award in writing while recovering from vocal surgery. ♪ >> in true billboard fashion, there was a wide range of performances from van halen to britney spears with iggy azalea. and mariah carey hit the billboard stage for the first time in 17 years. and the big award of the night, billboard's top artist going to. >> taylor swift. >> oh this is such a good night. this is such a good night. >> and john legend won his first billboard music award for top music song all of me. he thanked his wife for inspiring him. mercy and t.j. >> what's the matter. >> we were trying to get some facts correct here. what did you say? >> it was fun. it was a fun night. good time was had by all. >> i didn't realize but this is all kind of based on your sales. so it's not a lot of surprises here. >> right. they had a pretty good idea. taylor wasn't too shocked she got the big award but she's always so humble about it, always so gracious accepting these big awards. >> as many as she gets she does a real good job of being surprised she gets another one into this is britney and iggy azalea. i missed this last night. write down this number now. right now, people are receiving this free information kit for guaranteed acceptance life insurance with a rate lock through the colonial penn program. if you are on a fixed income learn about affordable whole life insurance that guarantees your rate can never increase for any reason. if you did not receive your information call this number now. your acceptance is guaranteed, with no health questions. stand by to learn more. >> i'm alex trebek here to tell you about a popular life insurance plan with a rate lock that locks in your rate for life so it can never increase. did you get your free information kit? if not, please call this number now. this affordable plan through the colonial penn program has coverage options for just $9.95 a month. your rate is locked in and can never go up. and your acceptance is guaranteed, with no health questions. see how much coverage you can get for just $9.95 a month. call now for your free information kit. ♪ ♪ music throughout ♪ unlike ordinary diapers, pampers has three absorbent layers to stay up to three times drier. so your baby can sleep soundly all night. wishing you love sleep and play. pampers time now for the mix". so there's an astrophysics professor. >> you lost me already. >> bear with me here. stick with us. on npr on the weekend by saying many scientists are what i call boys with toys. women scientists are saying hang on a second. not just boys with toys. so they've started this #girls with toys and showing all the cool scientific things that women are doing. so got one from nasa. showing the clean room with the mirrors all the work she does. another scientist showing the telescope she works with. just a really motivational thing for women who are doing jobs that some people think are just for boys. not so. >> this is great because we always talk we don't get enough girls into these stem fields and then we have a dearth of them when they get older and don't have enough women in these fields. it's good to show this and young girls can see that it's possible. what's the #again? >> girls with toys. check it out. >> doesn't mean what you think it means. another shot here. we've got a -- you like skiing? not so much. >> i'm a florida girl. >> i'm with you. i'm from arkansas. what do we do? i like soccer. i like watching them both. >> i do like soccer. >> not used to watching them at the same time. you're seeing downhill skiing and soccer taking place at the same time. this is in norway. all right? this group, and yes they got a goal. i don't know how this thing works. i don't know how you go back up to the top. who knows who cares. but it looks cool. >> it's awesome. that takes some skill. >> you got soccer on the slopes. now, i need a name for it. that's what we don't have yet, folks. what do you call soccer on the slopes. >> spoke inner somebody just said. scoccer. >> it looks cool as anything. >> get a #going for this one, too. everyone has their opinions about barbie and it's not representative. really most dolls aren't representative of what girls want to look like. there's a facebook campaign called toy like me the goal is to produce toys for children with disabilities. now there's a company makies out of the uk started producing accessories for dolls, wheelchairs, hearing aids things like that. this group, this facebook group is happy they're doing this. they wanted to go a step further encouraging big toymakers like mattel to do something along these lines, make more representative lines. >> every girl every boy should be able this morning on "world news now," deadly gunfire at a texas restaurant. police want to know how a shoving match between rival biker gangs ended with at least nine people shot to death. what restaurant patrons did to stay safe. >> back on track. passenger train service out of philadelphia resuming again today. what investigators are uncovering after last week's deadly amtrak crash and how the rails, we're told, are safer there this morning. >> nightmare house guest. an airbnb horror story involving a home that was trashed, the renters responsible and why the homeowner is left with the mess and the costs. >> later in "the skinny," fashion that rocks. recording artists showing off at last night's billboard music awards, their flashy gowns and plunging necklines almost upstaging the music. it's monday, may 18th. captions paid for by abc, inc. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm marci gonzalez in for reena ninan. >> hello to you all. i'm t.j. holmes. a shoot-out in texas. now, this sounds like something made for the movies, but this happened, folks. a wild scene in waco, texas. a motorcycle gang war erupts in broad daylight. literally around noontime outside of a crowded shopping plaza. >> by the time it was over, nine bikers were dead, more than a dozen wounded and 100 people in custody. abc's aditi roy has more on the deadly gun battle. >> gunfire erupts in broad daylight at a waco, texas restaurant killing nine people and injuring 18 others. >> i just got a call from passer by. they were going by twin peaks, thought they heard a gunshot, looked over and saw a lot of people running >> police say the shots rang out when three rival motorcycle gangs got into an argument inside the restaurant that quickly spilled into the parking lot and escalated into a gun fight. >> as our officers approached, the biker clubs were actively shooting at each other, individuals were being shot when we approached. our officers engaged hostile targets and we started shooting at people that were shooting at other people. those individuals also turned on our officers and fired at our officers. >> we do know that they are criminal biker gangs, very well-known in our area. >> reporter: authorities say the gang members used chains clubs and knives during the fight. witnesses tell kxxv they hid in a restaurant freezer during the shooting. the parking lot swarming with law enforcement officials, shutting down the shopping center and warning people to stay out of the area. as local hospitals treat the wounded. police say they've made several arrests in connection to the gun fight. aditi roy, abc news, san francisco. >> some major developments in iraq now where isis forces have advanced scoring a significant victory. the city of ramadi fell yesterday as iraqi forces abandoned their weapons and armored vehicles to flee. local officials say isis militants have carried out mass killings of iraqi security forces and civilians. the prime minister now ordering the armed forces in anbar province not to abandon their posts. also, at least three people have been killed in a suicide car bombing in the afghan capital, including a british contractor. the blast targeted a convoy from the european union police training mission. that's near the kabul airport. taliban claiming responsibility for this attack. >> an american marine has been killed in an air crash during a training mission in hawaii. 21 others were hurt when their osprey aircraft made a hard landing and burst into flames. a section of the osprey broke off from the main fuselage and ended up on the opposite side of a chain link fence. the marines are based at camp pendleton in california but were in hawaii for training. for the first time since the amtrak disaster, passenger train service is resuming between new york and philadelphia. crews worked around the clock to repair the tracks as investigators searched for clues in the crash that claimed eight lives. more now from abc's phillip may na. >> the mystery surrounding the derailment of amtrak 18888 deepening. the ntsb's lead investigator telling abc's george stephanopoulos on this week, that there's no emergency transmission evidence that the engineer brandon bastion alerted dispatch about any projectiles. >> we heard no communications at all from the amtrak engineer to the dispatch center to say that something had struck his train. >> sumwalt's remarks coming just two days after he said three separate trains including amtrak 188 appeared to have been struck by projectiles in the same area in philadelphia and all within minutes of tuesday's derailment that killed eight people and injured hundreds. there is a local radio call from a local commuter train about its windshield being shattered. >> transit 1 let those personnel know that that train was shot at so use caution. >> the engineer for that train also of interest to federal investigators. the lead investigator also stressing the need for the safety technology known as positive train control which they say would have prevented the crash. positive train control automatically stops a speeding train and despite the vast rail system, has only been fully implemented for passenger trains in a handful of places though it is mandated for them nationwide by the end of this year. >> we have seen countless accidents over the years that is could have been prevented had positive train control been implemented. >> phillip mina, abc news new york. >> that positive control system they were talking about is now along the northbound tracks reopening in philadelphia this morning. so engineers will be alerted to slow down and the brakes could be applied to speeding trains automatically. >> people in washington, d.c. are looking for a person of interest in the investigation of four people found dead authorities want to know if that person has any connection to the fame's 2008 porsche abandoned in maryland. a wealthy businessman and his wife and their youngest son as well as the housekeeper before their mansion went up in flames. investigators say that fire was intentionally set. >> now to the weather watch and a weekend of severe storms stretching 1200 miles across the nation's heartland. the widespread threat of more storms is now over but this morning, flash flooding is still a major concern. abc's rob marciano has the latest. >> floods stranding homeowners in texas. sometimes too difficult to rescue by boat. so officials brought in a helicopter to lift residents to safety. in oklahoma -- >> sorry. >> it's all right. >> damage left after violent storms which spawned tornados. >> my boyfriend looked outside and he saw it as soon as we hit the floor. in a hallway, the whole house started shaking >> for this family, survival came down to only a few dozen feet. their house damaged but their nearby shop with beautiful vintage cars inside destroyed. >> as long as we're all alive, we're okay. >> more than 25 reported tornadoes hit the plains in six states from texas up to minnesota. in broken arrow just outside tulsa, homes are boarded up and roads blocked. this woman forced to cover her kids with just pillows and blankets. >> it was scary especially when it got dark. the kids were a little nervous and scared. >> in missouri, hundreds of people evacuated in towns near kansas city as floodwaters began rising. not too far away the national weather service is on the scene surveying damage like there. the rain across north central texas has stopped at least for now. behind me you see the red river on the texas/oklahoma border. just that, very red and muddy to because so much water is trying to drain down stream. it is flood is taken. the river expected to continue to rise, cresting on monday. rob marciano, abc news, gainesville, texas. >> in today's forecast, more storms for texas with heavy rain blanketing the eastern third of the country. the heaviest from little rock to memphis. it will also be wet along much of the northern west coast with mountain know and a winter storm watch for colorado with some areas seeing as much as 20 inches of snow. >> temperatures much cooler throughout the upper midwest. 45 for minneapolis, 80s for nearly half the nation, 90s for phoenix and d.c. the world's first underwater oxygen bar now open in cozumel, mexico. no need to order adult beverages either. this is fascinating here. >> guests at the clear lounge bar get special helmets filled with special aromas, including peppermint, lavender, citrus or you can breathe in concentrated oxygen. that's supposed to be a great cure for hangovers? really? all in the atmosphere of a 13,000 gallon transparent aquarium. huh. >> if i'm hungover, the last thing i want to do is put my baiting -- bathing suit on, jump in the water with people watching and try to -- this is not my idea of a hangover cure. >> what is your hangover cure? >> i'm still trying to figure it out. maybe i've got it all wrong. >> you go anchor a news cast, is that your hangover cure? how is that working for you? i'm sorry, she's not drunk. >> thanks a lot. i can't even say anything. i'm going to get myself in trouble. >> the skinny coming up the highlights from the billboard music awards see, sorry you came back including the eye popping fashions and the artist who's took home four awards. >> first, nightmare house guests. they checked in as airbnb guests and checked out after leaving behind a costly mess. why their host is left with the clean-up and the expense. you're watching "world news now." 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(representatives speaking) move free ultra. the smallest joint health pill. with a triple action formula for joint, cartilage and bone. move on... to move free ultra. and now... ...try new move free night. the first and only... 2-in-1... ...joint and sleep supplement. >> stunning surveillance video shows the moment of impact as a freight train hits a transit bus at a crossing near atlanta. my goodness. traffic was backed up. not all of the bus cleared the track. so as that train approached, passengers saw it coming, they yelled to the driver and did their best to run off of the bus. you saw it was hit once, it spun around and then it was hit again. five passengers and the driver were injured. >> all right. we have a new airbnb horror story for you. renters who would not leave and trashed the house while the homeowner was there. >> the homeowner i guess made a mistake and allowed the guests to pay cash and then stay there after the airbnb reservation was up. so the service says they're not responsible. abc's kendis gibson has more. >> this is what one california homeowner called a living nightmare, watch as this couple roams this santa cruz house rummaging through the refrigerator, cabinets, the homeowner standing on the side helpless. >> worst thing i've experienced in my life. scariest thing. >> 33-year-old renting her master bedroom through airbnb last month weeks after the contract agreeing to a cash only payment not involving airbnb. that's when she says the payment stopped coming >> i asked them politely, it's time for you guys to go. >> did they go? >> they did not. >> surveillance cameras rolling as the duo is served legal papers but they refuse to leave. the shirtless male seen creeping throughout the house at night, california law on their side. >> california law allows the tenant the 30-day notice because they have to find a new place to live. that's expensive. some tenants have been using that to their advantage. >> this nightmare is finally coming to an end for this homeowner. but it was costly. sandu finally agreeing to pay $1700.50 to get the pair to leave her own house figuring it's less than a lengthy eviction process. >> nightmare? >> absolute nightmare. >> court documents indicating this same couple has an ongoing claim against them for not paying rent elsewhere. now airbnb telling abc news we strongly encourage hosts to only book through airbnb. they may change policy to financially penalize anyone who overstays an airbnb reservation. other experts encouraging those renting out their homes to do background checks. kendis gibson abc news, santa cruz, california. >> this went on for three weeks. the homeowner finally had to pay them to get out. >> and she had to stay with a friend. kicked out of her own home. >> had to pay somebody to leave. this is a mess. this is an exceptional case, i take it but this can potentially happen to a lot of folks. warning to you, stick with the guidelines used throughout the site. coming up, the two must see television events of last night. >> no spoilers we promise. "the skinny" is coming up next. >> you promise. i'm going to spoil it all. "world news now" continues after this from ♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ >> all right. billboard music awards. not music's biggest night necessarily but it's the biggest party. it's a good time. >> this is not the grammys. host chrissy teigen and ludicrous made the point very clear, much different kind of show. they started the evening off with shots doing a toast to who ift. >> that's how we usually like to do this show but we got in trouble a couple weeks ago. we knew this lady would have a big night and she did, taking home eight awards for her chart topping album 13199." 37 >> you sure you didn't do shots before the show. >> i did not. all her friends there with her, including her boyfriend and subject of a future breakup song we're told. calvin harris. taylor accepting each award with gratitude and bewilderment. >> thankful for winning top new artist and top male artist sam smith who is recovering from surgery on his vocal chords but he was able to thank everyone through some old school text messaging you could call it. very creative. >> the most talked about part of the night performances for the ladies we start here with nicki minaj. >> she started out slowly with the night is still young but sped things up with a lot of choreography for "hey mama" in collaboration and this is being called her most dance heavy tv performance ever. wow. >> nikki doing her thing. >> capped off with a performance by kanye west right there. that's kanye. a lot of people didn't know it was kanye. if you're looking at this, it was tough to see him. he had a lot of pyrotechnics and smoke, plus you couldn't hear him that well either because of the sensors had to drop out nearly half the song because of the language but it's kanye. what do you do? >> man, oh, man. turning now to the red carpet fashions and the theme, you'll like this, lots of skin. >> that's been a theme lately. >> jennifer lopez with a sheer cutout gown. >> this is my new best friend. rita oro broke a few necks with this head turning white gown. she admitted she left the undergarments at home. >> interesting detail. the belle of the ball t. swift of course, also in white in this cutout jumpsuit. i love that. >> something more colorful. yes, zendaya wearing an animal print suit. >> iggy azalea powder blue and nude crop top set and coordinating skirt. >> celine deon showing all the young girls. >> she looks great. >> this green leather dress. back to the queen of the night, taylor swift started off the show with the premier of her new music video. >> the song is called "bad blood." and last week she released posters of the video's supporting cast featuring a lot of her well-known friends with apparent alter egos and then "avengers" meets "sin city" look. >> the video rolled. we got a look at the deadly female assassins along with the lone guy in the group, kendrick lamar who performed on the track. but the meaning of the song told through the video. it's widely believed swift's real life bad blood is shared with katy perry who did not appear to be at the awards this year. >> last night was the end of an era for amc's "mad men." >> series finale, the '60s, the agency drama ended last year. no spoilers we promise. not even our writer has seen the finale. he's not spoiling it for himself either. >> here is what we will say. creator matthew wiener says that this is in fact the end of the line for the show and the characters. so don't expect any "mad men" spinoffs of any kind. so for done draper and all the cast there, it will be forever standing still in the year 1970. >> and by the way, what else stood still last night was amc's sister networks all went black last night. this is what they put on their screens instead of showing any programming telling everyone just check out "mad men." >> we've been trying to get disney to do this while our show was on. >> we've been trying to get disney to do this while our show was on. thousands of bacteria. but lysol disinfectant spray can help protect your family because it can also be used on soft surfaces. it kills 99.9% of illness causing bacteria won't stain and leaves your soft surfaces with a light fresh scent lysol the #1 pediatrician recommended brand. leftovers. the unsung hero of meals. they get re-heated. re-nuked. and re-baked. and when leftovers are done... there's always stuff left over. new dawn platinum power clean calls dibs on those. it powers through tough, dried-on messes in seconds. even 48 hour stuck-on food. so go ahead, triple that recipe! a drop of dawn and grease is gone. >> important message for residents age 50 to 85. write down this number now. right now, people are receiving this free information kit for guaranteed acceptance life insurance with a rate lock through the colonial penn program. if you are on a fixed income learn about affordable whole life insurance that guarantees your rate can never increase for any reason. if you did not receive your information call this number now. your acceptance is guaranteed, with no health questions. stand by to learn more. >> i'm alex trebek here to tell you about a popular life insurance plan with a rate lock that locks in your rate for life so it can never increase. did you get your free information kit? if not, please call this number now. this affordable plan through the colonial penn program has coverage options for just $9.95 a month. your rate is locked in and can never go up. and your acceptance is guaranteed, with no health questions. see how much coverage you can get for just $9.95 a month. call now for your free information kit. ♪ move free ultra. the smallest joint health pill. with a triple action formula for joint, cartilage and bone. move on... to move free ultra. and now... ...try new move free night. the first and only... 2-in-1... ...joint and sleep supplement. ♪ it's notorious for being the scariest and most difficult track and field event. for the next young athlete, pole vaulting seems to be a piece of cake. >> she's able to launch herself in the air, clear the bar despite the fact that she can't see. and now she is soaring to even greater heights. here's abc's steve osunsami. >> this is the moment when charlotte brown realized a life's goal. she's now the third best high school pole vaulter in the state of texas. and she's blind. >> it took me three years to get on the podium but i finally did it. so that's exciting. >> her family and friends were there to cheer her on but she could only hear them. she can't even see her lane when she runs plants her pole and pushes herself over the bar. she explained it to me two years ago. >> i can't make out a blur even. it really just blends in for me. >> she started losing sight when she was just 16 weeks old and by the time she turned 11, it was gone. her parents were concerned when she fell in love with pole vaulting. here's what she sees when she jumps like looking down the inside of a tiny black straw with a blurry light at its end. her coach lays artificial turf next to her lane. and that's what she uses to run straight. she can make out the difference between light and dark colors. >> one, two, three. >> she has to count out her steps and then jumps. >> when a kid comes in and talks to me what they can't do, i just point to the picture of charlotte up there and say you tell her that. >> it's definitely been a group effort on many people's parts, coaches, family, friends, it definitely helps having all that support. >> dear charlotte. >> for years, she's been an inspiration to blind and visually impaired children everywhere headed to purdue university in the fall on an academic scholarship. she may not see but she's never lost sight of her dreams. steve osunsami, nbc news, -- abc news atlanta. >> inspiration. >> love it. i guess she counts the steps and then there's a beeper on the mat that tells her when it's time to plant the pole and push up. >> applaud her for wanting to do this and sticking with it but also for everybody else coming together and making those, putting that strip down, that buzzer you're talking about to make sure she's able to compete. this is a fantastic story. steve, thank you, sir, for that. oh. >> love it. >> every once in awhile we get one of these i get worked up about. >> this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades. ng insomniacs for two decades. wild weather and hail and tornadoes hitting the planes and people evacuated after severe flooding with more in store today. taylor swift dominates at the billboard music awards. plus the bizarre performance from kanye west that got boos from the crowd. good morning. i'm marci gonzalez.