versions of how reeva steenkamp was killed last thursday. pistorius will be tried for premeditated murder. he claims he thought an intruder was in his bathroom, so he shot through the door. only after breaking down that door did he realize he had shot his girlfriend. >> i'm not lawyer, but here's my question. your girlfriend is spending the night. you wake up, she's not there. you think there's an intruder in the bathroom, but you don't know where she is. >> he says he thought she was still in bed. that's what he's saying. he's saying he got up, saw there was something going on with the screen door. went to the check it out, never looked at the bed. that's what he's saying. called for her to call police, but what's going to -- what prosecutors and the defense experts are saying is going to really be the key here in the premeditated murder is whether or not he put on his legs, his prosthetic legs. >> to measure that, they're going to see where those bullets came through the door. >> which means he got out of his bed, had time to think about it, put on the prosthetics, then go seek what was going on. so did he really not know his girlfriend was there? this story is getting more and more bizarre. and willis brought up a good point. that's another point. if the girlfriend and boyfriend are in bed together and having these moments right before valentine's door, why would she lock the door to the bathroom? >> thank you. >> we're going to bring willis into every one of our chats. >> please don't. more serious news. the death toll from a missile strike in the syrian district of aleppo has reportedly climbed to more than 30. almost half of them children. abc's terry moran has more on the new normal inside syria. >> reporter: smoke billowed from a strike on the outskirts of the downtown. the suburbs are the battleground, for now. [ explosions ] in a damascus suburb, government air strikes have reduced much of the place to rubble. as they have in the northern city of aleppo, where they were pulling more bodies from the wreckage. but all sides suffer in this war. we went to a wake for a beloved local politician in damascus. he was kidnapped and burned to death in his car by jihadist rebels who claimed credit on the internet we were told. there was almost nothing left of him, his brother told us. rebel mortar fire landed near assad's palace. that's a first. you look in the eyes of so many people, you see a different kind of wound, the fear is real. near of what tomorrow may bring to damascus. terry moran, abc news, damascus, syria. former congressman jesse jackson jr. and his wife are due in court, expected to plead guilty to federal charges. he's accused of spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items, including a $40,000 gold rolex. his wife, a former chicago lawmaker, sandra jackson, is charged with filing false tax returns. vice president biden tells americans they do not need assault weapons to scare off bad guys, just use a shotgun. his response came in response to a facebook question about responsible gun ownership. >> look what the democrats are doing. joe saying i got two shotguns. obama saying look at my picture. they're trying to walk this line -- >> we're not against the 2nd amendment. it's all theater. here's a look at your wednesday weather. denver will see snow by this afternoon. that storm will move into the plains. showers for oklahoma city, dallas and houston. another frigid day for the upper midwest. minneapolis 10 degrees, boston, new york and baltimore, upper 30s. spring arrives one month from today, march 20. for the first time in 16 years, we'll hear the classic gray poupon "pardon me" ad. it begins just as stuffy as the original, with a chauffeured british aristocrat. >> it goes in a different direction, though. it has an action packed ending, complete with a high-speed chase. >> do you remember those? >> oh, yeah, of course. pardon me, do you have any gray poupon. >> i remember it, too. coming up, as we reflect on our old age, we asked you to ask us anything. so stay tuned for our answers. >> and who's pushing for better preschool programs across this country? what it could mean for your young kids, thirsty for knowledge. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ full of beautiful highlights and lowlights. that's why nice'n easy builds dimension into every shade. so here's a challenge: love the gorgeous dimension of nice'n easy or we'll pay for a salon color. take the salon challenge, from nice'n easy. and now hot pink toes. seems tough for a tough dog like duke. but when it has anything to do with gwen, he's putty in her hands. for a love this strong, duke's family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... ...to help keep his body as strong as a love that can endure anything... even every fashion trend. iams. keep love strong. last week, president obama called for publicly funded preschool to be available to every american child. and now education department commission is recommending that happen within ten years. >> abc's devin dwyer reports on the president's plan and what it could mean for kids. >> reporter: preschool for all is a simple idea. like learning your food groups. but giving every american child free access to classrooms like this one in atlanta is a bold new plan. >> not just babysitting, we're not just child care, we're really getting children ready for the next step in their education. >> reporter: 1 in 3 youngsters in the u.s. don't get that chance, prompting president obama to propose expanding the nation's public education system to help them. >> if you're looking for a good bang for your educational buck, this is it, right here. >> reporter: the plan could cost up to $10. 5 billion per year by one estimate. it's a bill obama says should be split between the federal and state governments. >> it's expensive. when you're talking about young children, you have to have very different ratios than you do in k-12 education. >> reporter: many of the nation's top economists, including several here at the university of chicago, say the cost is worth it. preschool for all, especially low income kids, can mean big savings for taxpayers down the road. >> we get a r cents on the dollar for each year of each upfront investment. >> reporter: economist james heckman says skipping pre-k by kids in poor families comes with a cost, too. >> it reduces crime, a society that's more engaged in a sense of employment and so forth. that's where the economic return comes. >> reporter: only five states offer preschool for all children. several have struggled to meet their goals. in georgia, 8,000 kids are on a waiting list. the state's high school graduation rate remains one of the lowest in the nation. >> universal pre-k is more difficult to do because you're opening it up to a larger group of children. and so that requires more funding. >> reporter: a wish that may seem more pipe dream than possibility. though advocates insist universal preschool still stands a chance. >> short term cost, long-term gains. >> how is this not a thing already? coming up next, you asked, we answered. >> we're going to up our "world news now" inbox and find out what you want to know. stay with us. ♪ all the little birds on jay bird street ♪ ♪ love the way the robin goes tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ song of the day around here at abc. today is the day our robin roberts is officially back five months to the day after undergoing a bone marrow transpant. robin returns to "good morning america" in a few short hours. i'm sure she's getting out of bed right about now. >> that's right. and it is our honor and privilege to say, welcome back, robin. we all love you very, very much. can't wait to see you. >> and it's time now for our "world news now" in box segment where you ask us anything and we have to answer whether we like it or not. >> our first question comes from sherylyn. can you do a segment on willis? is he married? does he have a family? what he likes to do when he's not at work. >> well, a little background first in the form of willis' greatest hits. >> yes, i've been in bed with willis for years, and he's quite a company man, if you know what i mean. >> oh, yeah, i like that. >> willis' pic right there. there he is right there. >> oh, yeah, oh, yeah. right between the eyes i got him. >> so willis, answer the question, are you -- the woman out there wants to know whether you're married or not? >> no, i am not married. >> how many girlfriends you got? >> i have a few young ladies i know, yes. >> what do you like to do when you're not at work? besides hanging out with your young ladies. >> he just answered that. >> i like to have a good time, enjoy myself. go places, do things. all that kind of good stuff. >> and we should explain, willis is back for a few weeks. but you've been retired sense the end of 2010. but you're back temporarily. we love having you back, despite our trash talk. all right. our next question, i woonlder if both of them are wearing clothes on their legs behind the table or if they just sit there in underwear and nice tops. >> buck naked. >> i ain't not nothing going on. >> there it is. >> i wear my prom dress underneath this table. >> normal suit, there you go. >> we look normal. >> nothing freaky deky underneath the desk. it's a family show. finally this from doug, why do you two awesome people sit there with two empty wnn coffee cups? >> these things are, yeah, they are empty. sometimes we put snacks in them. >> or our pens. >> and no, you cannot order them. they just look good on the desk. these were gifts for our 20th anniversary two years ago. >> this is also how i beam my messages to the aliens out there who i know are watching. >> really? willis, take these to a few of your ladies. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. hd 8. low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. but all i do to be broadcast ready damages my hair and scalp. then i uncovered head & shoulders damage rescue. it relieved my scalp and rescued my damaged hair. the proof? see it tonight, at eleven. head & shoulders damage rescue. ♪ okay. that's the midweek special. >> and also for this story, a pastor in chicago is responding to changing times with a unique solution and that's why this is our boom, favorite story of the day. >> that's right. he's trying to get the attention of young people by rapping his sermons. frank matthew from wls reports. >> reporter: university church on the university of chicago campus. it's headed now by 29-year-old pastor julian deshozzier. he's chicago born and raised and a graduate of divinity school. he rehearsed a sermon for us and explained the difficulties of preaching in a changing, much younger world. >> it's a challenge. i mean, we don't throw away the old classic message of the gospel or of love or peace and courage, because those are words that the church needs to continue to own. but we have to repackage them. >> reporter: and he repackages religion in a very unusual way. he's also a professional rapper, and preaches religion with rhyme. >> sometimes you have to do a little hip-hop, too. >> reporter: during a sermon? >> if need me. ♪ i'm trying to live it like christ ♪ >> reporter: as a rapper around the chicago area, the reverend is known as jay quest. >> what it really does is hopefully lead people into a greater understanding and awareness of themselves and their god. >> reporter: he's been preaching for ten years, he's been rapping professionally for about five years. they don't seem like they go together. but apparently they do. >> i don't think that i rap religion, though. i think that i rap about life, and i rap about the narratives of all of our experiences. i think that's the same thing that sermons are about. >> reporter: sermons and rap, the two have met. frank mathy, abc 7 news. >> whatever it takes. >> whatever gets the message out there is a good thing. so different people respond to different things. i like it. >> especially if you want to get to the younger demographic. that's what they listen to. >> why not? >> preach it, my brother. >> we could to the 2nd baptist biscuit -- >> amen. >> i like to at this moment focus on brother willis chambers. willis back on the overnight show, don't know why they let him hout, but the lord is going to let him back in. just pray for that boy. this morning on "world news now," missouri inferno. a gas explosion and huge fire burns shops and restaurants in kansas city. >> what investigators have already uncovered as cadaver dogs are brought to the scene. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the latest on the injuries and the search for answers after last night's major fire in kansas city. also this morning, the fear that raced through southern california after a gunman went on a violent shooting rampage. what detectives are uncovering. >> it's so weird how getting these e-mails during the day, another shooting, another shooting. it's hard to say whether more of these are happening or whether we're covering them more. but more violence. >> you hear a lot about shootings, but it's mass shootings. >> this one seemingly random as some of the others. for the first time, police are letting us hear in great deal the alleged plans to kill singer justin bieber. some evidence just being released. later on this half hour, every family could use a little guidance. but how about advice on parenting from a team of esteemed experts? >> is there one thing that you have learned that you had no about five months ago? >> what they say about them growing and developing quickly is true. we're not disciplining him yet, which is probably going to create a terror. >> he's running the house, isn't he? of course. >> but before you know it, they're growing up and doing all kinds of things you don't even realize. >> he'll be going to college next week. that's how it goes. don't cry. it's too early in the show. before all of that, the blast in kansas city we told you about a second ago was so powerful it shook windows and doors of homes and businesses blocks away. >> now investigators are looking into whether a gas leak may have triggered the explosion and the fire. abc's chuck sivertsen has the latest. >> reporter: dozens of firefighters battled a massive blaze in kansas city. the force of the blast leveled the restaurant, sending broke glass and building materials. a huge fireball engulfed the entire city block. thick, black smoke filled the air and could be seen for miles. >> this was a happy hour at a restaurant. there were patron in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like abvent. it doesn't appear to be foul play. >> reporter: witnesses say the explosion was so loud and powerful, it could be felt half mile a way. residents were asked to evacuate. >> the ground just shook. it sounded like -- i mean, it was just a giant explosion. >> reporter: several people who were injured were taken to area hospitals. most of the injuries were lacerations from flying glass. firefighters were investigating complaints of a smell of gas. patrons were asked to leave the building. >> i'm just keeping my fingers crossed this turns out to be a relatively low number compared to what it could have been. >> reporter: chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> there were original reports that there may have been a car that crash swod the building and hit the main -- the gas main and that's what created it, but police have not been able to establish that is the case. so that's definitely going to be interesting to see what is causing this. >> they're going to search that scene throughout the night. just as a precaution, they did bring in some cadaver dogs just in case there are any fatalities. that's going to be a developing story throughout the day. you can see from the video how dramatic the fire was. four people including the gunman are dead in southern california after a bizarre shootishoot ing spree. it started when a college student killed a woman at his home and sped away. next he carjacked and shot a man. then he approached another victim at a gas station. >> he said, i don't want to hurt you. i killed somebody. today is my last day. give me your keys. >> two people were killed for their cars before he took his own life, as police closed in. they say his motive remains a mystery. we're getting new details this morning of that foiled plot to kidnap and kill singer justin bieber. reports surfaced in december alleging that a convicted killer and rapest had hired two men to murder and even castrate the 18-year-old pop star. for the first time, we're hearing recordings of a phone call made from a prison in new mexico. police say a 45-year-old dana martin telling one of the hitmen how to strangle bieber and his bodyguard using a scarf. >> martin was said to be infatuated with bieber. police say he wanted the singer dead after attempts to contact him had failed. a followup now to that incident that caused an aerospace agent his job. 60-year-old joe hundley will plead not guilty to a charge of simple assault. he's now free on bond, but cannot drink alcohol or possess firearms. those are the conditions of his release. he's accused of slapping a 2-year-old boy, on top of that using a racial slur during a delig flight two weeks ago. last night, president obama called the three key gop players on the issue in the senate. john mccain, lindsay graham and marco rubio. details of a backup immigration plan were leaked over the weekend. and general john allen who had -- has announced his retireme retirement. he says his wife has stood by him for more than 35 years. the president praised allen while accepting his allegation. >> according to a report in "the washington post," the wife has several chronic health issues, including auto immune disorder. he said in an interview, "for a long time i told her when you can't bear this anymore, just tell me and i'll drop my resignation letter." he said he no longer wants to place the pressure of that decision on her. look, everyone looks at things and says was this related to the petraeus e-mail scandal. he was e-mailing that woman in florida. he says it has no relation to that. >> and he was cleared from that. and he is still with his wife and he was able to keep his job. so looking into the future, our own martha raddatz says the replacement is a air force general named phillip breedlove. >> these two had become close and now he has this position to fill. there's some interesting politics going on in terms of the nation's national security and foreign policy. >> let's get this done. >> he was nominated for the most prestigious overseas military position. >> >> it's taken a few days but now we're getting details about that round of golf that president obama played with tiger woods in florida on sunday. woods is now in arizona getting ready for a tournament and he walled mr. obama "pretty cool." woods said the president hit the ball well in tough conditions and joked about how the round came about in the first place. >> yeah, he calls up and says hey, tiger, you want to play? >> he does not. >> okay. obviously there is a process that's involved and i was invited to play. >> he said that's simply an invitation you do not turn down. woods said if the president ever spent more time playing golf he could get to where he's actually pretty good player. >> one person from the "golf digest" was there, a member of the club. first time i've seen tiger woods smile in a very long time. >> he's slowly getting his groove back, in a good way. now to something that's truly an honor and privilege to report and something we're happy to share with you this morning. >> this morning marks robin robert's return to "good morning america." we'll be back at the anchor this morning aside the whole "gma" team, george, sam, josh and lara. >> it's been five days since she had her bone marrow transplant. we're so happy she's coming back. >> she's let those cameras into every stage of the process. she's really been -- she could not have been more open or more welcoming. i think she found power in letting people see what she was going through. she's not alone in battling illness in this country and she's been gracious and bounced back so well. >> i think she's been an empowering voice for people going through the same thing. >> welcome back. coming up, forget gasoline. see who is fuelling a car with coffee. >> and american roman catholics who are hoping the next pope will be from the u.s. see who may be up for the top job at the vatican. you're watching "world news now." when many soles pass through the most trodden areas of your home, your vacuum doesn't always pick up what's left behind. only the resolve easy clean system has foam power to stop dirt in its tracks. it penetrates deep within your carpet, removing 3 times more dirt than vacuuming alone. leaving the busiest areas of your carpets, truly fresh and clean. the resolve easy clean system. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. ♪ sing it now. >> we're having a little church. >> feel it going through your veins. in less than two weeks, pope benedict will step down and there are speculations about who is going to replace him. >> so what are the chances of an american becoming the next pope? abc's david wright lets us know. >> reporter: cardinal sean o'malley is a prince of the church who lives like a pauper. even his clothes set him apart. cardinal sean, as he likes to be called, wears the simple brown robes of a monk, plus sandals. even in winter in boston. >> he's a holy man, and a man of simplicity. wouldn't that be a lovely thing to have in a pope. >> reporter: the boston arch diocese he inherited was badly tainted. he sold off the cardinal's residence to pay off the victims and moved into a single room. the church has not always been so responsive. >> any new pope is going to have to look at that issue and speak to it. >> reporter: here in rome, there's been an unwritten rule, no pope from a superpower. but vatican watchers say times have changed. >> people realize a cardinal from the united states is not necessarily going to represent u.s. political interests. >> reporter: o'malley is one of two american names being floated. the other, timmy dolan who scoffed at the idea. >> what about you? >> is this abc evening news or comedy central? >> reporter: and o'malley isn't holding his breath either. >> i haven't lost any sleep about it. and i have bought a round trip ticket. so i'm counting on coming home. >> reporter: in boston, it would be the religious equivalent of the red sox beating the yankees. >> we always liked boston over new york. >> it will be interesting to see how it plays out. >> reporter: both americans are long shots. popes tend to be from europe, especially italy. the last time a non-european pope was chose was 1,000 years before columbus set sail. >> i'm saying there's a chance. >> odds are not on our side. that's what i get from our report. they could go for somebody from the latin american population. a lot of ways they can go with this. it's just fun speculation. >> as far as cardinal timothy dolan goes, he's sure his name is out of the running. not only did he say that to diane, he said the only people talking about hi being the pope are people smoking marijuana. so there you have it. still to come, advice from some of the nation's most successful people. >> could their strategies help your family solve everyday problems? don't go away. you're watching "world news now." ♪ be careful with your daughters, especially if they're hanging out with john mayer. parenting can be tough. >> but a new book is taking a different approach by asking successful people how to create a strong family. abc's juju chang checked it all out. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: think of it this way, you're not a family, you're a team trying to power up every single member. i'll tell you the lesson i learned with my three boys and a special-ops commando. >> get your legs straight. >> reporter: thanks to author bruce feiler, who asked high power sources to help fix the problems we all face in our modern families. >> i felt like as a parent, we were just stuck, we were lost. the shrinks, the self help gurus, those ideas were stale. >> reporter: you have to fight fair, and you can't have a team without a sense of mission. so hold family meetings and really listen. >> what didn't work so well our family this week? >> overreacting. >> reporter: and prepare to be surprised. what bothers families the most? how stressed out and tired today's parents are. in listening to my own children, i learned their favorite times were not ski weekends but the quiet moments when we're just goofing around. and what about money? he asks bankers about giving allowance. the number one thing they say, don't tie money to chores. chores are what we do to take care of each other, not to get paid. in fact, study after study shows all of us are more motivated by pulling for the team than by money. just ask the green berets. >> the team is only as fast as the slowest person. >> reporter: they say top down management doesn't produce as big a win as making everybody part of the plan. ready for this mission? that means the team leader, me, should listen to the rank and file. >> i think we should have the slowest person up front, and then the fastest person in the back. >> reporter: good idea. >> your son felt confident enough to say no, i want to do it a different way, and by the way, he had a good plan. >> if you can accomplish that kind of team work, you can do anything. >> reporter: now, that is mission accomplished. juju chang, abc news, new york. >> some good tips in there. but everyone does it differently. different strokes for different folks. >> that's for sure. you never know what's going to work and what's not going to work. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know what is the best parenting advice you have ever received? please share it with us. >> what was the most common bit of advice people told you when you were pregnant about motherhood? >> that it wasn't going to be easy and i have to let my kid cry it out. >> that's tough to hear that sound. >> it's not going to happen, no, my poor baby. >> we'll be back with more after this. my name is marjorie reyes, and i'm a chief warrant officer. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ welcome back, everybody. time for "the wednesday mix." caffeine is critical, now it's critical for something else, running your car. guiness world records tracked this guy, martin bacon, who used his coffee powered car to get up to 65 miles per hour, the fastest ever speed for this type of vehicle. >> what? >> it doesn't use coffee like what's in your cup, but the waste from production and these pellets are heated in a charcoal fire to break them down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. any car can run on this gasification process. he's worked on this while and says this is another alternative energy that we could be using here. >> we're always talking about getting away from our dependence on oil. but until they make these cars look like real cars and not these crazy factories on wheels, i'm not driving that. thank you. i've got to stop and put some coffee beans and get stuck on the side of the highway. no thanks. gentleman who did a little research so that he could come up with the most expensive cup of coffee ever. of course it's at starbucks. this is video from his youtube channel. now, he went out and he got himself a 48 shot mocha drizzle protein powder, caramel brulee topping with strawberries and vanilla chips. it cost him $47.30. and by the way, because it was his birthday, he got it for free. so remember all i said, go get it for your birthday, because you get the most expensive cup for free. >> does anybody drink folgers anymore? apparently folks like meteors around the world. according to the online measurement company visible measures, the meteor videos have topped 138 million views, the fastest video event ever to reach 100 million views. crazy, the interest in what happened over in the skies over russia. >> that's incredible. this is a new website called this morning on "world news now," inferno investigation. a gas explosion and fast-moving flames race through a popular kansas city district full of shops and restaurants. >> what investigators are finding this morning after a fire that burned for hours. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the kansas city fire investigation in our top story. and also this morning, the costly computer crimes costing the american economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year. the fingers are pointing at china, as the white house today announces plans to fight the hackers. and then -- this is crazy. why hand sanitizer is being singled out in a fire that severely burned an 11-year-old girl. wait until you hear how something so common turned into something so hazardous. you think you're doing the right thing, killing the germs, staying fresh, it's after the flu. and then something like that happens. that story is crazy. >> and where it happened is also crazy. you would think it's the safest place for an accident to not happen. and later on, clyde davis, his tell-all book and a singing star who has a few choice words for him. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> he's having a little battle well a well-known singer. "nightline" revealed an interesting tidbit from his personal life. >> we'll get to all of that. >> all that dirt. >> oh, yeah. but first, crews are working through the overnight hours at the scene of that explosion and the fire in downtown kansas city. >> they brought in cadaver dogs just as a precaution, since the destruction was on a widespread scale. it's believed that a gas leak is what set off this blast. witnesses said there was a strong odor of gas right before the explosion. >> it was happy hour at a restaurant. there were patrons in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like an accident and does it appear to be foul play at this time. >> the gas utility says there are early indications that a contractor was doing some underground work nearby and perhaps hit a natural gas line. the u.s. is reportedly poised to strike back as allegations surface about cost cyber attacks blamed on china. sources say the white house will unveil a new report today laying out aggressive steps to fight the cyber crimes. abc's brian ross investigates the latest security breaches that are hitting home. >> reporter: the chinese people's liberation army has more than 2 million personnel. but it's the thousand or so in this nondescript building in shanghai that may pose the biggest threat to the u.s. this is the headquarters of the army's secretive unit number 61398 where, according to the new report, english speaking computer experts spend their days stealing secrets from u.s. companies and hacking into government sites. >> this is an espionage operation run by the chinese people's liberation army, and it's targeting a broad swath of western organizations. >> reporter: among the most troubling targets, american infrastructure sites, including water treatment plants, transportation control centers, pipelines and power grids. >> the only reason you would want to get into the control system for the power grid is to cause damage, destruction and disruption. >> reporter: among the many corporate targets of the chinese hackers, according to u.s. officials, lockheed martin, the country's largest defense contractor and the maker of the f-35 jet fighter. u.s. officials say not surprisingly, the chinese version of the plane has some distinct similarities. >> it's koosting, according to u.s. intelligence, hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of u.s. jobs every year. >> reporter: the u.s. is believed to be doing its own cyber attacks on iran and its nuclear program. but u.s. officials say it's different than the economic espionage being carried out by china and now president obama has ordered u.s. intelligence agencies to help american companies spot and detect the hacking coming from that building in shanghai. brian ross, abc news, new york. and one day after targeting burger king, hackers have taken over the twitter account of another major company. pranksters broke into jeep's page and tweeted that the automaker had been sold to cadillac. the false tweets went out nearly an hour before the company regained control of that account. even the virtually virus free apple has fallen victim also. the company says that a small number of mac computers were infected. this attack at apple's new york offices was similar to one acknowledged at facebook last week. >> the more computerized world we become, this is the aftermath. this is the dirty underside of it all. according to the article in "the new york times," the white house today is going to respond to some of this stuff. "the new york times" said obama administration officials are planning to tell china's new leaders that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between washington and beijing. that could be only interesting words. again, we owe china a lot of money, so how tough can you be to the country to which you owe billions and billions of dollars? >> and china is completely denying this. there was a bbc crew that set up shop outside of that building that brian ross showed you in his piece in shanghai. they were told to hit the record and all their recordings were confiscated. china is saying they have nothing to do with it. it's going to be a little he said, he said here. >> there was a foreign minister who said, to make groundless accusations based on some rough material is neither responsible or professional. that's china's response. so maybe some tough months ahead. >> i would say, international relations for sure. a girl in oregon is recovering from burns after a fire her parents believe was started by hand sanitizer. 11-year-old ireland lane was a patient at a children's hospital in portland. her father believes the alcohol-based hand sanitizer was ignited by a spark of static electricity of his daughter playing with her bed sheets. >> i've been in medicine 30 years now. i've never heard of anything like this, and hopefully never will again. >> she suffered third degree burns to nearly 1/5th of her entire body. she's already had someone skin graph surgy. another is set for tomorrow. icy roads are to blame for a multi car pileup north of milwaukee, wisconsin. 26 vehicles were involved along the busy highway. the road was closed while tow trucks cleared up the cars. and a winter storm has brought snow and this rare tornado to northern california north of sacramento. >> and with that, here's a look at your weather today. a rainy one in seattle and portland. california dries out after yesterday's storms. denver will get snow around dinnertime. houston and dallas with a few showers. >> arctic air grips the nation's midsection with temperatures up to 20 degrees colder than usual. chicago is 19 when the normal high this time of year is 30. phoenix and l.a. are also colder than usual. folks, the big stock show and rodeo in san diego has arrived -- in san antonio, texas, i'm sorry. we don't want to get those confused. >> a little different. >> it continues through sunday and that means there's still a couple of days left for the mutton busting. >> what was that? >> mutton busting. >> who needs all those massive bulls and wild horses when you can see little kids wearing helmets riding sheep. some have a bit more success than others. >> kids between 4 and 7 and weighing less than 55 pounds can take part in mutton busting. and as one parent said, it's not whether you win or lose but how much fun you have. >> what is the link between this event and the term "mutton busting?" is that another name for a sheep, mutton? >> the only mutton i know -- that is mutton? okay, thank you. you knew that too, willis? >> willis is all-knowing. >> based on your extensive experience with sheep, i appreciate your knowledge there, willis. thank you for chiming in. baaaaa. that's willis' girlfriend. >> by the way, they don't tell the kids to let go because they might get hurt, so they tell them to hold on as long as possible. >> words to live by. >> hold on to your sheep. >> your what? coming up, an actor known for his tough-guy roles but now he's showing his softer side. and the victoria's secret model who insists there's something ugly going on in these glamorous professional photos. and the profession that she's chosen. you're watching "world news now." 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>> listen, she's got a graduate degree, she's a really smart girl. and there's a lot of really smart models out there. cindy crawford was discovered at a mcdonald's. but she was like the valid victorian. she's a beautiful woman, as well. so i just think they're upset about the fact that a lot of people view them as just a pretty face with no brains and they're only doing this for the money and it's so easy to get that money if you've won the genetic lottery. and they want the world to know there's more to them than just their looks. >> i judge her less how she got to the platform than what she's doing with it, and she's doing a lot of good with it. so i think that's cool. >> and that's wonderful. >> that's what i like those victoria's angels for, their minds. >> their brains, their minds. >> i'm always focused on their minds. >> especially when they're walking down the catwalk. >> always. >> lies, lies. coming up, the singer who refuses to be bullied. >> and an unusual performance by a tough guy actor, coming up next in "the skinny." next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> yes, it is. >> i'm going to miss that, willis. clyde davis in the news this week on two fronts. first, an issue with kelly clarkson. he has a new memoir detailing his decades in the music business, and has built many, many careers. so in his new book, he recalls a meeting with kelly that says "it was a very tough conversation and it didn't get any easier when kelly burst into sobbing when discussing the inclusion of that song "since you've been gone" on her second album." she fires back and says, i couldn't be more proud of that song. i resent him dampening that song in any way. i refuse to be bullied and i have to clear up his memory lapses. and misinformation. it feels like a violation. so apparently there was a tough meeting and they both tell very different sides of the story in terms of what went wrong. apparently no love loss. and he gave an interview on "nightline" earlier this week and admitted for the first time ever that he's bisexual, says he's been in a strong monogamous relationship with a man for the past seven years. before that, it was with a doctor for 14 years, but says i can still be attracted to women. therefore he calls himself bisexual. so clyde just putting all kinds of stuff out there about his personal life. 80 years old he is. >> okay. good for him. >> check out that memoir. here's something that's really sweet and adorable. vin diesel, for valentine's day didn't do the chocolates and flowers and everything else. instead he covered a rihanna school. take a listen. ♪ makes me feel like i can't live without you ♪ >> really sweet. he's got a really good voice. the way this worked out is he was inspired to do this after seeing rihanna perform and he obtained a mike and amp and he did this on a flight for his girlfriend and of course, he says the rest is history. so just a beautiful moment. if you hear the whole thing, it's really sweet. >> very, very cool. >> nice. so here's something else. tupac's mom, you remember tupac, he's been dead since 1996, or so they say. saying she will release his entire body of work. by the way, since he's been dead, he's released seven albums, not seven songs, seven entire albums. what, 13, 14 songs per. three of them made it to number one on the billboard 200. and of course, if you remember last year, tupac's fans saw a hologram of him, which was really great at the coachella music and arts festival. twitter went ablaze, there he was. he performed with snoop dog. but since then, the hologram company has gone bankrupt. so tupac is alive and well and we know it and you're probably watching right now. >> i'm going to tell you right now, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend. i saw him, i saw him, i saw him. >> what? >> i'm breaking the news on this show, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend and a piggly wiggly before that. i saw tupac. >> was he with his momma? he was with dave chappell. momma? he was with dave chappell. medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. 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