>> and fashionably early. designer tom ford, styler to the stars, revolutionizing the industry again. now making his groovy garments available for purchase hours after the model leaves the catwalk. but first, the "nightline" 5. >> you know your heart loves megared owe mega threes. did you know that your eyes, your brain, and your joints, really love them too. introducing ga in one. just one soft gel delivers the omega three power of two regular fish oil pills. so give your body mega support. with megared advanced four in narrator: fewer new hampshire students are graduating debt free, while wall street and oil companies get billions in tax breaks. and whose side is kelly ayotte on? she voted to cut funding for pell grants and against letting students refinance their loans at lower rates. all while voting for tax breaks for the special interests like oil companies that give millions to help her campaign. kelly ayotte: working for the special interests, not on our side. senate majority pac is responsible good evening. thank you for joining us. it's the popular hash tag that triggered a social media firestorm. air bnb while black. frustrated users of the home sharing site claiming they were refused accommodations because of their skin color. now facing a class action lawsuit, today the company acknowledging the issue for the first time pledging to battle discrimination head-on. here is abc's sonny >> reporter: the room and home sharing site whose slogan is belong anywhere. but many users have been feeling anything but welcome. >> being denied because of the way i look. it sucks. >> reporter: 23-year-old kirtina criteton, took to twitter voicing how impossible it was to book a place in miami for her >> every single message that i got had the worst excuses in the world. as to why they weren't accepting me. >> reporter: she believes she was repeatedly denied by hosts because of the color of her skin. when she tweaked her profile picture, she says her suspicions were confirmed. >> i changed my name to tina and put up a photo of a cityscape in chicago. once that happened. i never had anier y issues book on air bnb. under #airbnb while black. some users claiming to wear their arm uniform just hoping to avoid rejection. others commissioning their friend to book places for them. and then there was this host in north carolina. blatantly rejecting a black user with a racist rant of messages. dropping the n word and adding. this is the south darling. air bnb permanently banned the >> on a service like air bnb, where you are not necessarily automatically matched the person has some discretion about accepting you or rejecting you, it invites the kind of discrimination that we have seen for a long time in accommodations. >> reporter: the stakes were raised after this man, gregory filed a class action lawsuit against air bnb. the virginia user claiming a host rejected him because he is black. a suit that is still pending. or place in malibu. >> reporter: today for the first time the company is formally acknowledging discrimination is a very real problem on the platform, confronting the issue head-on. >> i think these complaints have been going on for -- a while. and the company founders admit that they were slow to respond in a meaningful way. >> now, releasing a list of recommendations aimed at the site, making hosts sign a community commitment, and hiring a team to monitor bad behavior. this is the woman air bnb hired to fix it. former washington, d.c. aclu head, laura murphy. >> this team is being given the latitude to be creative, to come up with ways of detecting discrimination, and i think that this is really an exciting innovation and a paradigm shift for a silicon valley company. >> this comes at a time when airbnb population continue to soar. there are 2 million listing and 60 million people booked spots since it first launched in 2000 #. the site popularity attracted terrence and victoria when they were looking to book a three month european tour. they decided to update their pre file picture. >> we had become an official >> they say it was when the couple switched their profile from one of victoria alone to this photo that rejections began to trickle in. >> being a blond white woman, this isn't something that i come across every day. so he would say to me, i think it is because of the profile picture. man you should kid taking it down. i am like, no, no, that's definitely not it. no, i don't think so. >> reporter: after suspecting the photo was indeed the culprit, the couple claims they went on to report a number hosts who to airbnb for alleged discrimination. >> it is not our responsibility to figure out how they can achieve that. it is their responsibility. >> reporter: today the company says they're doing just that. >> airbnb they feel very strongly that people should feel a sense of belonging anywhere that they travel. >> reporter: some say their proposed solutions may not be enough to fight bias among year by harvard business school, showed that requests made by profiles with what the researchers deemed distinctively black sounding names, got 16% fewer positive responses than names deemed white sounding. >> the internet is utopia. it reflects the same sorts of social biases we seen the real world. >> a professor at princeton university. professor wasa argues that on demand sites have the potential to fight discrimination. >> they have data how people are using their surface, they could use that to see the discrimination that is invisible. >> ride share uber has taken on age old frustration, people of color have hailing a taxi. >> we are going to request the uber. the app in the face makes it destination. so, leslie, what information do you get? >> just your address. >> just the address to -- where you should arrive? >> yeah. >> what's nice about what is happening on uber, there is no discretion for the driver or the passenger in this kind of instant match making that reduces the amount of discretion where either party could discriminate against the other. >> reporter: sites like airbnb are built on personal information. >> people want you, what your interests are, what you look to do, why you are traveling? the more information you are going to divulge, the more likely you are to get booked. >> ask the schaffer, an airbnb super host made hundred of thousand renting properties on the site the he doesn't discriminate, but notes the screening process can be complicated. >> i don't think discrimination on airbnb. discrimination occurs for many nationality. people don't want to be hosting young bachelor parties. >> he says air bnb does offer an option to land a rental without getting screened by the host. the instant book button. >> that means they can be booked look a hotel. with no prebooking communication or discrimination possible. >> the company is doing a great deal of investment in instant book. in part because the it is a good business model. also in part because it really helps discriminatory conduct that the company is seeing. >> earlier today we checked in with kirtina. >> my issue is not with airbnb as a company. i want them to understand diversity is not optional. and the responsibility ultimately lies with them to create environments where racism and discrimination are not tolerated. >> she says she spoke with laura murphy herself. >> i would have liked somebody but i, i do still appreciate the effort. >> reporter: a good first step, she says, she wants to wait for november 1st. when the policy is put into practice. for "nightline," i'm sonny hostin in new york city. up next, good luck telling this little girl it is her bedtime. she is a child goddess. even her country's prime minister bows to her. later, tom ford is turning off-the-rack into e ? take on any road with intuitive all-wheel drive. the nissan rogue, murano and pathfinder. now get 0% apr for 72 months, rimp is back at red lobster. that means you get to try as much as you want... ...of whatever flavors are calling your name. seriously. like new garlic sriracha-grilled shrimp. it's a little spice... ...a little sizzle... ...and a lot just right. and try new parmesan peppercorn shrimp. helloooo crispy goodness. and the classic... ...handcrafted shrimp scampi... ...you can't get enough of? still gonna floor you. it may be called endless... ...but that doesn't mean it'll last. by the time i was 30, i said "that's it, i'm a smoker for life." i wanted to be a non-smoker and i did it thanks to chantix. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. this is for real. i'm a non-smoker. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. narrator: new hampshire, think a minute about kelly ayotte the politician. ayotte claims she's independent, then goes to washington and votes with the koch brothers 90% of the time. she takes millions before everyday families. higher drug prices and cutbacks to our medicare. so, think about it: new hampshire can choose the special interests' senator with kelly ayotte... or a people's senator, for a change. i'm maggie hassan you know, it is one thing to praise your children, it is another to worship them. a century's old tradition in nepal proclaims young girls goddesses. becoming a deity may not always be a blessing. here's abc's terry moran. >> reporter: with breathtaking temples and soaring mountain peaks, nepal has a undercurrent that flows through every day life. here on a b small hand painted sign announces the residence of a living goddess. a goddess who is only 7 years old. her name is unika, a kamari, a century's old living, breathing child goddesses. it is considered good luck to >> reporter: the kumari lives here with her mother and father. they have left their previous jobs to book her full time caretakers. her mother had to learn to do this customary makeup. the kumari is not allowed to leave her residence except for holy festivals. furthermore her feet are never supposed to touch the ground. the kumar is worshipped by hindus and buddhists alike. to be chosen as a kumari, a standard. first their astrological chart must be considered favorable. then the girls are tested for 32 very specific physical attributes including eyelashes like a cow, thighs look a deer, and voice as clear as a duck. once a girl is chosen, she is kidded an incarnation of the hindu goddess. most people have heard of the d dali reincarnated into a new male child in death. finding the new dali lama involves extensive tests. >> you say this is yours. >> similar to the kumarai. what else belongs to you? >> this is mine. mine. mine. mine: >> yes. >> but there is a big difference for life. once they hit puberty the young girls are forced to return to life as a mere mortal. this woman served as a kumari. when i was a kumari there was not a lot of walking outside. i was uncomfortable after i retire from the house, i am uncomfortable to walk around. >> reporter: along with the challenge of having to walk as a teenager, another an old superstition that says men who marry ex-kumaris are destined to die young. this is a superstition. if the kumari married a guy, this is only a superstition. all of the ex-kumari married. i am just married before six months. this is only rumor. >> reporter: some activists in nepal criticized the tradition calling it child labor. end the practice citing its cultural value. in april of last year, nepal was struck by a catastrophic 7.8 earthquake. 8,000 people were killed. entire villages destroyed. and famous historical landmarks flattened. as a ruesult people say the kumari became more important than ever with an uptick in visitors seeking her blessing. we saw this devotion firsthand allowed to walk beside her as she made a rare appearance in the outside world. for the hindu festival of rain. every step another person hoping to receive her blessing. this 7-year-old goddess, serene. if at times seeming a little nervous. ? filled with marching, and chants, all for her. then, a visit from a vip. the prime minister of nepal who has also come here to seek the kumari's blessing. life as a kumari can seem surreal. strange. according to those who have lived it this extra ordinary ex-kumaris enjoy prestige their whole lives as well as a lifelong pension from the nepali government. but rashmila says greatest honor is continuing the ancient tradition. >> best thing that i being a kumari, present my -- preserve my culture. and to do that, nepalis do that as of a living kumari. responsibility and sacred duty. for "nightline," terry moran in kathmandu, nepal. ? >> up next, a quick turnaround never goes out of style. tom ford's new fashions available just the day after they debut. tired of re-dosing antacids? try duo fusion! new, two in one heartburn relief. the antacid goes to work in seconds... try new duo fusion. from the makers of zantac. ? ? ? ? ? the new ford escape. the utility. be unstoppable. this is lulu, our newest dog. mom didn't want another dog. she said it's too much work. lulu's hair just floats. uhh help me! (doorbell) mom, check this out. wow. swiffer sweeper, and dusters. this is what i'm talking about. look at that. sticks to this better than it sticks to lulu. that's your hair lulu! mom, can we have another dog? stop cleaning. start swiffering. for little moments that are more than a little messy try new johnson's head-to-toe cleansing cloths twice as big as average wipes for an all over clean when there is no time for a bath. woman: the executive council voted along party lines, striking down more than $639,000 to planned parenthood locations. when republican politicians cut planned parenthood, it was devastating. birth control, cancer screenings -- they were all cut back. plunkett: it was colin van ostern who got that funding restored and helped expand medicaid, too. i'm colin van ostern. i was raised by a single mom, and we didn't always have health insurance. that's why, as governor, david was proud to be an american soldier. and i know i'm prejudiced because he was my son, but i don't think he had a mean bone in his body. there is not a day that i don't think about david. when i saw donald trump attack another gold star mother, i felt such a sense of outrage. "she was standing there, she had nothing to say..." if donald trump cannot respect a gold star family, then why would anyone in america think he would respect them. narrator: fewer new hampshire students are graduating debt free, while wall street and oil companies get billions in tax breaks. and whose side is kelly ayotte on? she voted to cut funding for pell grants and against letting students refinance their loans at lower rates. all while voting for tax breaks for the special interests like oil companies that give millions to help her campaign. kelly ayotte: working for the special interests, not on our side. and finally tonight, tom ford is performing a quick change on the fashion industry. >> his taste is so impeccable. >> he is the king. the master. >> he dressed everyone from beyonce to rihanna. ? time for tuxedos ? >> to jay-z and justin timberlake. ? >> his influence impactful, incredibly. >> tom ford revolutionized fashion in the 90s and now revolutionizing fashion once again. >> you can't predict. >>ford making his latest ready >> everything is immediate. everything is live. it is definitely the way to go. >> while most designers are showcasing thread for spring. ford is one stitch ahead. focusing on consumption. stylist and editor-in-chief of yahoo! style, joe zee sat down with ford to discuss the future of fashion. >> you will be able to see it online. buy them immediately. >> what made you take the shift? >> why would you want to see clothes you can't have for five or six >> when he is not dressing the stars, he's directing them. ford's second film, nocturnal animal, starring jake gillenhall and amy adams, to be release this winter. >> you got a 20 minute standing ovation at venice film festival. an amazing feat. >> it was amazing. it was surreal. i tried to be very present for it and take it in. it was surreal. >> also surreal, some of the this sequin evening gown you may have to save up. the price tag nearly $12,000. it was mark twain who said clothes make the man. i'm not sure what red sequins makes you. thank you for watching abc news. join us for "good morning america" tomorrow. as always online at abcnews.com and our "nightline" facebook page. good night, america. >> now at 11, homicide investigation in danville. tonight, what neighbors of the woman found dead in her home are now saying after learning she was killed. >> plus, drought conditions expanded. the areas of the state now tonight, summer sizzle takes over for everyone on friday. how hot it gets. >> and commitment 2016. tonight the republican candidates for the second cooling district face off in our latest granite state debate. the pressing issues before tuesday's primary. >> if you do vote for jim, it would basically be guaranteeing that annie kuster would have another two years. >> another case of him talking tough to the voters and doing something else. >> no one now, wmur news 9 tonight. >> at 11 tonight, the suspicious death of a woman in danville has now been ruled a homicide. good evening, new hampshire. i'm tom griffith. >> and i'm shelley walcott. the attorney general's office is now investigating how 51-year-old joanne boucher was killed earlier this week. cherise leclerc live with the very latest in the case. reporter: shelley, investigators have been at that crime scene