Paul walker as it gets ready to open around the country. And good morning, america. Lets get right to that breaking news. A new terror attack in kenya. Active and very dangerous situation unfolding right now. It all began early when gunmen stormed a university. More than a dozen already confirmed dead. The killer is still on the loose and the Terror Group Al Shabaab and you see the students there huddling for safety which the u. S. Has been targeting has already claimed responsibility. Reena ninan is here with all the latest. Good morning, reena. Reporter george, good morning to you. Eyewitnesses describing the scene as sheer panic. When it was all over theyre saying muslims were separated from muslims. At least 15 People Killed. 60 injured. The attack taking place just as morning prayers were beginning at the university. One person describing the scene as people jumping up and down running for their lives. Some people even running towards the gunmen not aware that the shooting was taking place. Mass pandemonium. A spokesperson for al shabaab saying that they did in the end release 15 muslims. Also telling the bbc when you eventually go into the university you will be shocked. There had been intelligence warnings from a potential attack in this area. The interior ministry saying at least one of the militants had been arrested when they were trying to flee the attack. You know only last month a u. S. Drone killed an al shabaab leader believed to have been behind the Westgate Mall attack in nairobi. That drone strike taking place in somalia. A lot of people on high alert ahead of this attack but still coming as a complete shock to the citizens of kenya. Okay reena, thanks. More on this from our chief National Security correspondent martha raddatz. We heard reena say this Al Shabaab Group was responsible for the kenya mall attack in 2013 and the u. S. Has been targeting them. Reporter theyve been targeting al shabaab for year george. As you know its a terror group based in somalia, affiliated with al qaeda. Intent on carrying out attacks in africa and westerning its and went out after one of its leaders killed in a u. S. Air strike. Ongoing air strikes after al shabaab, drone strike air strikes and some ground strike ss and includeing one by navy s. E. A. L. S going after this terror group and as you said the most stunning attack as we all remember the one on the Westgate Mall more than 60 People Killed in that attack and this university attack comes just after western embassies were urging tourists in a coastal town to leave, a British Embassy warning that attacks could be incriminate in places frequented by foreigners of course they went after kenyans in this attack but foreigners are certainly on the alert, george. Martha some concern here in the u. S. , as well, that al shabaab has been recruiting from the Somalian Community such as places in minnesota. Reporter they have been and have had foreign fighters try to join al shabaab and have americans try to join al shabaab and some have indeed its something the u. S. Is keeping a close eye on. Okay well stay on top of this martha raddatz, thanks very much. All right, george. Back here in the u. S. Extreme weather across the country. Two major story, the severe storms bringing pounding hail and damaging winds to the midwest and then the extreme drought in the west. For the First Time Ever california forcing almost 40 Million People to cut back on their water use. Ginger zee is here tracking it all for us. This is a serious situation. Serious in many places so lets start with that Severe Weather. At least 50 severe storm reports including wind gusts up to 70 plus Miles Per Hour. Big hail were talking golf ball to even baseball size and this a gustnado from nebraska and sped it up so you can see the rotation still dangerous, not quite the same as a tornado but well see more of all of these types of events happening this afternoon and evening in this region here from louisville to paducah back to springfield, northwest arkansas look for those strong winds and large hail. Thats just one of the headlines just like lara said bigtime drought restrictions water restrictions now in place in parts of california. We know that the sierra is at 6 of its annual snowpack and our Kendis Gibson is live this morning in california. Good morning, kendis. Reporter good morning, ginger. This farm field out here shows you the problem. No rain for weeks, the soil take a look extremely dry. Californians this morning waking up to a stark new reality. They have to limit watering their lawns and even their bathroom usage. This morning for the first time in history californians facing drastic mandatory water restrictions. Were in an historic drought and that demands unprecedented action. Reporter the states 38 million residents forced to cut back on water consumption because of scenes like these where water was once plentiful, its now gone. The state deprived of muchneeded precipitation during the important winter months. Were standing on dry grass and we should be standing in five feet of snow. Reporter the snowpack which accounts for a third of californias water supply down to a historic low at 6 of snow usually seen in the mountains. Heres a perfect example of the problem. Where the water line was for this lake just north of l. A. Now take a look at where its at 135 feet lower in just the last few years. The new restrictions calling for a 25 reduction enforced by heavy fines limiting water use at golf course public streets and on lawns. Now at restaurants water is still served but only by request. Its gotten so bad theres a town about 100 miles northeast of where were standing right now where they have no water. The wells have all gone dry. George this morning the golden state looking brown. Boy, it sure is. Kendis, thanks very much. Well get the latest on a u. S. Senator charged with corruption. New jersey Democrat Robert menendez i defiant after the department of justice charged women for trading influence for private jet rides, vacations and other perks. Prosecutors call it bribery. The senator says they were favors from an old friend. Abcs david wright is tracking the case from newark. Good morning, david. Reporter good morning, george. Later today senator menendez will walk into the federal courthouse here in newark to answer these charges, already hes making it clear he plans to fight. Cheered on by his supporters the new jersey democrat defiantly vowed to clear his name against those shocking bribery and corruption charges. Im angry because prosecutors at the Justice Department dont know the difference between friendship and corruption. Reporter at issue is his friendship with this man, dr. Salomon melgen a florida ophthalmologist. According to the indictment filed wednesday, the doctor used the senator as sort of a personal ear and boy on capitol hill getting menendez to intervene in a billing dispute over medicare charges worth millions of dollars getting him to push the state department to help one of the doctors Business Ventures and even allegedly helping the doctors girlfriends with their visa problems. In exchange according to the indictment the senator accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in Campaign Funds from melgen plus lavish Caribbean Holidays deluxe hotel rooms in paris and expensive trips on board the doctors private jet. The last time a u. S. Senator faced bribery charges was 1980 the abscam investigation that inspired the movie american hustle. I like you and we can do business together. Reporter menendez insists the fbi is out to get him. They are dead wrong and this is not how my career is going to end. [ cheers and applause ] reporter that abscam senator was a new jersey democrat too. In fact menendez now holes his seat. He says he has no plans to resign but he will step down temporarily as Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign relations committee. Lara. David, thank you. Turning now to the nationwide backlash against religious freedom laws arkansas governor changing course refusing to sign the bill after his son asked him to veto it. Abcs gio benitez is in indianapolis with the very latest for us this morning. Good morning to you, gio. Reporter good morning, lara. It appears this morning that lawmakers have come up with a fix. They still need to vote on it but it could end this weeklong saga. This morning, the fix to the indiana religious freedom law expected within hours. Well keep plugging away. Trying to settle on language. Reporter the revision would make sure the law wont protect businesses like this indiana pizza shop who make promises like these. If a gay couple was to come in like say we wanted they wanted us to provide them pizzas for a wedding, we would have to say no. Reporter the backlash so swift, the shop forced to close its doors wednesday. Its yelp page inundated with negative comments even a tweet threatening to burn the shop down. In arc, agovernor Asa Hutchinson hopeing to avoid this citing his own family. It has divided families and there is clearly a generational gap on this issue. My son, seth signed the petition asking me dad, the governor to veto this bill. Reporter back in indiana as the public awaits the revised law, College Basketball teams arrive. The ncaas final four coaches putting out a joint statement saying we have made a point to talk about the issue with our teams. Adding discrimination of any kind should not be tolerated. And back at that indiana pizza shop the owners tell our abc station in south bend they will keep it closed until the dust settles. Thats if it settles at all, george. Good point. Thanks very much. The latest on robert durst. Charged with murder he is expected to appear in court today. Ahead of that his lawyer sat down with our matt gutman in new orleans now. Good morning, matt. Reporter hey, good morning, george. Robert dursts Attorney Says to expect a mini trial. Both sides expected to bring witnesses and evidence and learn a lot more about allegations 15 years in the making specifically why the lapd believes robert durst murdered his best friend. This morning, robert durst back in court, his lawyers challenging his new orleans arrest on gun and drug charges. There is almost no chance that a judge is going to rule that the arrest warrant was invalid. This case is almost certainly going to go to trial. Reporter on march 14th officers raided his new Orleans Hotel room saying they found a man on the run. With an illegal gun, a big bag of pot, a full face and neck latex mask and over 42,000 in cash in his room. A conviction on those gun and drug charges could mean life in prison thanks to dursts past felony convictions. Perhaps one reason why his attorney Dick Degeurin is so focused on getting durst back to california. Why so eager to get back to fight a murder accusation of all things . Because i think they dont have evidence. This case has all of the salaciousness that attracts attention. Reporter degeurin telling us durst has as bergpberger syndrome which influenced him to do the jinx. One thing about aspbergers is the person is trusting. He trusted the producers and that was misplaced trust. Reporter former westchester d. A. Who investigated him in his first wifes disappearance, degeurin accusing her of a witch hunt and will try to call her for a witness the second time. Asked for a subpoena for jeanine pirro. Reporter you have a thing with jeanine pirro. No i dont. It seems like you do. The hint of course is that its robert durst who has a thing for jeanine pirro. Durst probably wouldnt be here were it not for her, his attorney tells me. Hes still in a psychiatric ward an hour outside of town but off suicide watch. George. Thanks very much. Todays other top stories from amy. Youre starting with new information about that huge explosion in the gulf. Yes, george there are incredible pictures this morning from the explosion that engulfed an oil rig in flames fireballs shooting into the sky, workers jumping for their lives. Abcs ryan owens has new information about the environmental risk. Reporter a fire like this would be difficult to fight on land but in the middle of the gulf of mexico the feat was monumental. With firefighters on cruise ship size boats working well into the night to douse the inferno. The blast that sparked it happened well before dawn wednesday on the oil rig off the coast of mexico. This worker saying some of them had to jump into the water. Some took cell phone video. Four people died. More than 300 evacuated. Dozens of them hurt. This morning, the mexican state run company that owns the rig said its investigating what caused the fiery blast and insists an oil spill has been prevented. A major concern, especially given the similarities to the historic deepwater horizon blast which resulted in an unprecedented spill in the gulf in 2010. The somber fiveyear anniversary coming up this month. For Good Morning America, ryan owens, abc news, dallas. Our thanks to ryan for that. Talks aimed at curbing Irans Nuclear program have been extended once again. Secretary of state john kerry and other foreign envoys enduring an allnight session and this morning, new optimism. The french saying the finish line is in sight. Theyre pushing for terms of an agreement that would force iran to reduce its Nuclear Capabilities in exchange for easing sanctions. Well in the wake of last weeks plane crash in the alps German Authorities today said they will look into new possibilities for cockpit doors. Copilot Andreas Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit before crashing the plane. Authorities also promised to examine pilot certification procedures in the wake of the airline saying it knew lubitz had suffered severe depression. Back here at home an urgent manhunt under way for an escaped murderer. This image from Surveillance Video shows 23rd Kamron Taylor escaping from a jail in Eastern Illinois after beating a guard unconscious and stealing his uniform and car keys. He was able to walk away by wearing the guards uniform then driving off in his suv. Police consider him armed and dangerous. A 5,000 reward is offered for information leading to his arrest. Well pope francis is in the news this morning after a trip to the doctors. The vatican medical team urging the pontiff to lay off the pasta because of his recent weight gain. The pope is known for his appetite. Video of him accepting that pizza from a man on the street of naples recently went viral. Doctors are pushing him to cut back on the pasta and exercise more and i think pizza is included in that pontiff. Finally, what has to be the best trip to the supermarket ever for a woman from new york. Darlene smith went to the store to buy her husbands favorite ice cream birthday cake being a good wife. She also bought a scratchoff lottery ticket. She won 3 million. Smith is a postal worker and says she may skip work today but only because she has a cold. Her son immediately asked for a he heard word about the 3 million but her response was classic. She said and i quote, yeah, right. I dont think hes getting the beamer. Nice birthday present for dad, though. Maybe on an installment plan. Thanks amy. Ginger, welcome back. Youre welcoming us with Stormy Weather in the northwest. Thats now moving to the south and east but let me start you off with what was happening in oregon. Convection so thunderstorms and thats actually small hail that was adding up and looking more like snow but that same energy is going to move to the south and east and for tonight through early tomorrow going to drop 34 to 5 inches of snow in denver so they get spring snow. That happens. Today theyll go to 45 before everything goes down but 51 Salt Lake City so quite stormy in the center and thats the same one that well be talking about with Severe Weather and then wind advisories and warnings out in the southwest warm but not as warm as itll get later this week. Eileen lots of sunshine out there this morning. A little bit on the chilly side to start. You will not need the jacket this afternoon. 70 degrees is our high. The wind is out of the south. The wind will help us to warm up to 70. Warm tomorrow. Showers taper off early saturday. Cooler highs hot and dry from california to minneapolis. You can see the plumes of smoke from wildfires not just there but iowa and yesterday minneapolis, record high 84. Oh my gosh. Okay ginger thanks very much. Coming up on gma, outrage on the Duke University campus. A noose found hanging from a tree. Concerned students are speaking out. Also coming up new questions about uber this morning facing backlash as one of its drivers is charged for allegedly trying to rob a passengers home. Caught on camera. A driver crashing headon with a bus full of schoolchildren. Wow, how the driver managed to keep those kids safe. All the fallout from april fools day. Rihanna pranked jimmy kimmel but did some of those pranks go a little too far . Get 200 or more when you trade in any smartphone and buy a galaxy s6 or s6 edge. Hey have an awesome vacation everyone thank you so much youre so sweet. Yummy key lime pie at 90 calories. 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