tonight several developing stories as we come on the air. federal prosecutors are now involved after the bombshell allegation from amazon ceo jeff bezos accusing the publisher of the "national enquirer" of blackmail. he says they threatened him with compromising photos. the company responding tonight. the high school shooting. an armed man walking into the school shooting the hall monitor. what happened next? that school on lockdown. the plane crash and the search and rescue operation off south florida tonight. the fiery showdown on capitol hill. the acting attorney general matt whitaker is grilled. did he talk to the president about robert mueller's investigation? temperatures set to plunge overnight. single digit windchills across much of the country. rob marciano is here. the major new development tonight.

the mother last seen on thanksgiving. wh venezuela tonight. nowrswhho president nicolas maduro trying to hold on to power. blocking humanitarian aid. our team is right there. a chilling confession, the young man accused of killing his childhood friend. she was just a teenager. tonight you'll hear the audio as he describes what he did. we remember an actor tonight. his roles in annie and erin brock vich. good evening. it's a very busy friday night. we begin with the face off between amazon ceo jeff bezos and the "national enquirer." tonight federal prosecutors are looking at this. bezos alleging the owners of the "national enquirer" were trying to blackmail him.

bezos going public with the emails lawyers for the "national enquirer" sent him describing the photos they had. the parent company now responding to those allegations. linsey davis leading us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight, federal prosecutors are now reviewing those bombshell allegations by jeff bezos who claims the "national enquirer" attempted to extort and blackmail him by threatening to release compromising pictures, including nude photos of the billionaire, if he did not back off on his investigation of the tabloid. the tabloid saying they acted lawfully in what they called negotiations with the amazon founder. but after he says he was threatened with those photos, he decided to go public, posting a lengthy blog which allegedly contained emails between him and representatives of the "national enquirer" leaving in embarrassing details, writing -- "of course i don't want personal photos published, but i also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks, and corruption." it all started last month when, just days after bezos and his a

were published by "the bezos, who also owns "the washington post", which reports extensively on the trump administration, hired his own investigators he says to determine how the tabloid got pictures of him and if they were politically motivated, referencing ami chairman and ceo david pecker's close relationship with the president -- who has frequently gone after bezos. >> "washington post," i have to tell you -- i respect for jeff bezos, but he bought "the washington post" to have political influence. >> reporter: bezos says he started receiving threatening emails referring to those personal photos that included a "below the belt selfie," and one of bezos naked wearing "nothing but a white towel" and his wedding ring and showing the top of his pubic region. according to the emails, the company would agree "not to publish, distribute, share, or describe unpublished texts and photos." in exchange, bezos would stop his investigation and publically

state that he has "no knowledge" that "the enquirer's" reporting was "politically motivated." tonight one more major turn. prosecutors will be reviewing whether the owners of the "national enquirer" violated an immunity agreement they reached with feds looking into a campaign finance arjsment that involved the "national enquirer" killing stories damaging to the president just before the election. >> if the prosecutors in their discretion believe that a crime has been committed that could wipe out that immunity agreement and lead to additional prosecutions. >> the parent company of the "national enquirer" issued a statement today saying they acted lawfully and at the time of the recent allegations made by mr. bezos it was in good faith negotiations to resolve all matters with him. they say they plan to convene the board to investigation. >> linsey, thank you. to other news and the fiery

showdown on capitol hill. matt whitaker was gilled today about the mueller investigation. he was asked did he talk to president trump and does he think it's a witch hunt. here's abc's pierre thomas. >> reporter: on capitol hill today, house democrats tried to put the nation's top law enforcement official on trial. >> we're all trying to figure out who are you. where did you come from? and how the heck did you become the head of the department of justice? >> well, i mean, congressman -- >> mr. whitaker, that was a statement, not a question. >> reporter: democrats grilling acting attorney general matthew whitaker on the mueller investigation. whitaker pushing back. >> in your capacity as acting attorney general, have you ever been asked to approve any request or action to be taken by the special counsel? >> mr. chairman, i see that yo five minutes is up, so -- we -- i am here voluntary. we have agreed to five-minute

rounds. >> reporter: before president trump picked him for the job, whitaker publicly questioned the mueller investigation. but today he offered these assurances. >> i have not interfered in any way with the special counsel's investigation. i have not talked to the president of the united states about the special counsel's investigation. >> reporter: but whitaker refusing to answer whether the investigation, which he himself supervises, is a witch hunt, as president trump has said. >> are you overseeing the witch hunt? >> congressman, as i've mentioned previously, the special counsel's investigation is an ongoing investigation, and so i think it would be inappropriate for me to -- >> but you wouldn't oversee a witch hunt, would you? you would stop a witch hunt, wouldn't you? >> congressman, it would be inappropriate for me to talk about an ongoing investigation. >> reporter: republicans on the house judiciary committee blasting the hearing as a pointless character assassination. >> bring your popcorn. i'm thinking maybe we just set up a popcorn machine in the back, because that's what this is becoming. it's becoming a show. >> reporter: baltimore police >> pierre thomas with us

tonight. they're also pressing the acting attorney general on his vent statement that the mueller investigation was close to being completed. did he learn that himself? >> they did press him. he refused to offer anymore details. he said bob mueller will finish when he wants to finish. >> pierre, thank you. next to the school shooting at the high school in baltimore tonight. an armed man shooting a hall monitor. right here what happened next as that school went lockdown. stephanie ramos is on the scene tonight. >> reporter: baltimore police got the call of the shooting just before noon. >> medic aid respond, frederick douglass high school, for a shooting. >> reporter: police say a 25-year-old man entered the lobby of frederick douglass high school and shot a hall monitor in the lower torso. the school put on lockdown. students and teachers hiding in classrooms. >> it's crazy man. it's crazy. >> reporter: one teacher tweeting -- "kids are aggravated and seem nervous, but we're okay."

>> we believe that this is an inside the school. >> school police officers were nearby. they were able to engage the suspect, take him into custody without incident. worried parents racing to the campus that is now a crime scene. >> reporter: school sources confirm the shooter was a relative of a student. the mall hon tore is in serious but stable condition. next to the search and rescue operation under way off south florida tonight. a cargo plane crashing into the hospital. tonight that search operation does continue. here's abc ea's david kerleyy. >> reporter: the man scooped from the waters off miami by the coast guard is being treated tonight, while the search continues for the other person on board the cargo plane, which made a mayday call before hitting the water.

>> miami, you got any updates on that airplane? i just want to get any news on that mayday. >> reporter: the man rescued was flown to a local hospital. his head bandaged as he was wheeled to the emergency room. as boats arrived, they found parts of the plane. a wing, other floating debris of the plane, which was on a flight from the bahamas to the miami area. this is the twin engine plane, owned by conquest air cargo, which says on its website that it is the daily air cargo provider for nassau and the bahamas. at this hour, the coast guard says it is continuing to search for the missing person. the man in the hospital is listed in stable condition. david? >> david kerleyy reporting. thank you. next to the brutal winter blast as we start the weekend. windchills in the sij l digits across much of the country tonight. a new pacific storm slamming the west at this hour. let's get to rob marciano. the cold winds have picked up snapping us back to winter reality. look at the windchills in the morning. single digits along thehet.

in the northwest seattle getting slammed with know. then portland. moves out pretty quickly. four to eight inches expected in the emerald city. new snow coming for the northwest later in the weekend. there are more developments tonight about the missing mom from colorado. her fiance already charged with murder. a nurse, what she admitted to today. clayton sandell was in the courtroom. >> reporter: the mystery woman at the center of the kelsey berreth murder case tonight making a deal with prosecutors. krystal lee kenney pleading guilty to helping berreth's fiance patrick frazee get rid of evidence. >> i learned patrick frazee had a committed a homicide on approximately november 22nd, 2018. i moved the victim's cell phone with an intent to impair the phone's availability in the investigation. >> reporter: multiple sources say kenney and frazee were romantically involved. her family says the only reason she helped him because he allegedly threatened her. >> you see him? he's in cuffs.

>> reporter: frazee now charged with murdering berreth, last seen thanksgiving day. her parents say they're grateful to prosecutors for today's plea deal. >> they want every wrong-doer involved with this case to be brought to justice. >> reporter: kenney was free to go today, but she could eventually be sentenced to jail time. and as part of her plea deal, she agrees to testifies against patrick frazee in his murder trial. he's not entered a plea. david? clayton, thank you. next to the political vie sis in virginia. the governor initially the one lieutenant governor na faces a second allegation of sexual assault. tom llamas is just back from virginia. >> reporter: the week began with demands that virginia governor ralph northam resign after admitting he once wore blackface. it ends with calls for virginia's second in command to step down as well. >> what message do you have for virginia residents? >> we'll have our say. i'm confident in the truth. thank you so much. >> reporter: lieutenant governor justin fairfax now facing a new

accusation of sexual assault. meredith watson, one of his classmates at duke, says fairfax raped her in 2000. tonight, the lieutenant governor calling the allegation "demonstrably false," insisting "i have never forced myself on anyone ever." watson is the second woman to come forward this week. dr. vanessa tyson alleges fairfax forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel room at the 2004 democratic national convention. fairfax says their encounter was consensual. >> do you remember dr. tyson ever crying? >> good to see you, man. >> do you remember dr. tyson ever crying? >> reporter: and tonight, the lieutenant governor calling for a full investigation to clear his name. tonight more breaking news. more and more democrats calling on lieutenant governor fairfax otr decrat says he introduce articles of impeachment monday. also the governor said he will not resign. >> tom, we'll be watching. to the growing of trucks fu

and medicine has been stopped at the border tonight. victor oquendo is at the scene. >> reporter: tonight, the border standoff. those shipping containers and a tanker blocking desperately needed humanitarian aid from entering venezuela. all at the request of its embattled president nicolas maduro, who is refusing the american aid, calling it "a humiliation." nine truckloads of humanitarian aid now stacked up inside this warehouse, ready to get to the people of venezuela who desperately need it. they're hoping this shipment is the first of many. thet the requ juan , e whclms v's legal president isacked by thtrp admini fleeing this we she says there is nothing left for her inside her country. many telling us they're hopeful the aid gets in.

>> we know victor, that stream of people has been continuing all day long. they're people leaving venezuela. the president of venezuela and the man who is being recognized by the u.s. as the president, they're both dueling over the aid. >> that's right. maduro said if the u.s. wants to help they should lift the sanctions that hurt so many people. meanwhile the other saying he promises to get that aid inside the country. david? >> victor, thanks to you. a chilling confession. you'll hear the secret recording. the young man accused of killing his childhood friend. she was just a teenager. the major recall involving more than a million cars and their air bags. what you need to do. celebrating an actor tonight, his rolls from an in to

erin brockovitch. it not only saves about 80% in carbon emissions... it helps reduce landfill waste. that's why bp is partnering with a california company: fulcrum bioenergy. to turn garbage into jet fuel. because we can't let any good ideas go to waste. at bp, we see possibilities everywhere. to help the world keep advancing. you may have gum disease and could be on a journey to much worse. try parodontax toothpaste. it's three times more effective at removing plaque, the main cause of bleeding gums. leave bleeding gums behind with parodontax toothpaste. leave bleeding gums behind tremfya® is for adults with remoderate. to severe plaque psoriasis. with tremfya®, you can get clearer. and stay clearer. in fact, most patients who saw 90% clearer skin at 28 weeks stayed clearer through 48 weeks. tremfya® works better than humira® at providing clearer skin and more patients were symptom free with tremfya®.

tremfya® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or have symptoms such as: fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. before starting tremfya® tell your doctor if you plan to or have recently received a vaccine. ask your doctor about tremfya®. tremfya®. because you deserve to stay clearer. janssen wants to help you explore cost support options. but in my mind i'm still 35. that's why i take osteo bi-flex to keep me moving the way i was made to. it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long-term. osteo bi-flex because i'm made to move.

zblfrmgts next tonight chilling video of a murder trial i plang and what they say it proves. here's erielle reshef. >> reporter: tonight, those chilling tapes of what new jersey prosecutors say is a clear confession by an accused killer. >> it took me half an hour to kill her. >> reporter: the recordings appearing to show liam mcatasney coldly describing how he murdered 19-year-old sarah stern in december 2016, both 16 years old at the time. >> i choked her out, drag her. and my biggest problem was the dog and her dog laid there and watched as i killed her. didn't do anything. >> reporter: the motive prosecutors say to steal cash from stern. >> the worst part of it is i thought i was walking out 50 grand to 100 grand in my pocket. she had one safe that she took money out, and she only had 10 grand." >> reporter: that secretly recorded video part of a sting operation using mcatasney's

friend anthony curry. his defense arguing he fabricated the story for a horror film that curry was working on. mcatasney is plead not guilty, denying any wrongdoing and faces life in prison without parole if convicted. david? >> thank you. when we come back the major recall, more than one million cars and remembering a famous actor. can really get you going. but mania, such as unusual changes in your mood, activity or energy levels, can leave you on... shaky ground. help take control by asking your healthcare provider about vraylar. vraylar treats acute mania of bipolar i disorder. vraylar significantly reduces overall manic symptoms, and was proven in adults with mixed episodes who have both mania and depression. vraylar should not be used in elderly patients with dementia, due to increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, which may mean a life-threatening reaction or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. side effects may not appear

for several weeks. high cholesterol and weight gain; high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death; decreased white blood cells, which can be fatal; dizziness upon standing; falls; seizures; impaired judgement; heat sensitivity; and trouble swallowing may occur. you're more than just your bipolar i. ask about vraylar. just your bipolar i. tank was overweight and had no deaenergy.pet, until freshpet... put the puppy back in my dog. ♪ you might or joints.hing for your heart... but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally discovered in jellyfish, prevagen has been shown in clinical trials to improve short-term memory. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

moving? that's harder now because of psoriatic arthritis. but you're still moved by moments like this. don't let psoriatic arthritis take them away. taltz reduces joint pain and stiffness and helps stop the progression of joint damage. for people with moderate to severe psoriasis, 90% saw significant improvement. taltz even gives you a chance at completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection, symptoms, or received a vaccine or plan to. inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz, including worsening of symptoms. serious allergic reactions can occur. for all the things that move you. ask your doctor about taltz.

to the index new recalls involving the air bags. 1.7 million vehicles from seven auto makers involved. subaru, tesla and bmw over concerns the air bag deflator may explode. celebrating an actor tonight. albert finney has died. he starred in annie, tom jones and erin brockovich. finney was 82. when we come back tonight, a clue for you. what we showed you on monday, who are our persons of the week and the special tonight on "20/20."

the case we followed for years. tonight a mother, a wife, her second husband dead. >> really an incredible scene. they find the husband on the bed, dead. >> her first husband dead. his body ex how manied from the grave and her daughter poisoned. >> you had this unbelievable story of a mom who may have killed her daughter to cover up killing two of her husbands. >> it didn't work out that way. >> the story stunned the nation interview that made headlines. >> she's convicted of killing her husband, convicted of attempted murder of her daughter. >> the "20/20" special. >> the black widow. >> tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern time here on abc. on abc.

hi susan!hs) honey? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey. the real honey you love... plus the powerful cough relief you need.

mind if i root through your trash? new robitussin honey. because it's never just a cough. i'm begging you... take gas-x.ed beneath the duvet your tossing and turning isn't restlessness, it's gas! gas-x relieves pressure, bloating and discomfort... fast! so we can all sleep easier tonight. feeling unsure? what if you had some help? introducing the new 2019 ford edge with the confidence of ford co-pilot360™ technology. the most available driver assist techonology in its class. the new 2019 ford edge better things than rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz xr is right for you. xeljanz xr is a once-daily pill

for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well enough it can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened. as have tears in the stomach or intestines, serious allergic reactions, low blood cell counts, higher liver tests and cholesterol levels. don't start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. your doctor should perform blood tests before and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you've been somewhere fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. don't let another morning go by without talking to your rheumatologist about xeljanz xr. next on abc7 news at 4:00, a terrifying robbery. people at the atm targeted.

the search is still on for the suspects. plus, finally tonight our persons of the week. the men and women longest war. we started the week with our reporting from afghanistan. flying over kabul, with the four star general, the top u.s. commander in afghanistan. >> it's a good day to fly in kabul. >> this is a pivotal moment in america's longest war. and we witnessed special forces training the afghans to lead the fight. col. darren blatt -- >> well we certainly want to see the afghans in the lead. you certainly want to see the afghans training, doing all the operations. >> afghans are leading right here. >> afghans are totally leading. >> and while washington debates any possible draw down of u.s. troops, we met many of them. who have sacrificed time with family. who have put their own lives in

danger. lt. col. gil moss from coudersport, pennsylvania. her family back home. she is here. she speaks dari with the afghans.eans a great deal. >> captain carly costello, form georgia. >> i remember -- i remember 9/11. i was in seventh grade when it happened and my brother was in fifth grade and that night that it happened, my brother always wanted to be a marine. honestly he's my inspiration for why i want to be out here. >> is your brother serving out too? >> he is, yes, sir. >> both of you were inspired by that day? >> both of us. >> master sgt. kyle leonard, who enlisted at 17. he thinks of his young family back home and wrigley field, where he through the years, has used his military id to get in. >> my family is something that you really think of, and you have time to think of, when you're on side of the mountain. >> and your military id, what was the cost to get in? >> so it was 20 bucks, that was a couple years ago. but it was $20, you bought a hot dog and a beer and watch a cubs game. >> i hope you get that again soon. >> yes, thank you. >> and we were there, for the

sunday workout with that four star general.nkous t cndhaing th all. majo new york city. he was a major, scher was a cadet at west point on 9/11. >> i hope we're setting the conditions for a political settlement for the future. >> and first lt. natalia calsaquio from puerto rico. she came to afghanistan after the hurricane maria. >> how is everyone doing back home? >> we are struggling, but we are doing okay.heopn't know here, if and when any draw down of u.s. troops could happen. what they do know is they're here for their families, for their country, for as long as they're needed. so we choose all of the men and women who serve their >> announcer: live where you live, this is abc 7 news. and the rain is back in the bay area. this is a look at live doppler 7. you could see green all over the place that means we have a lot

of rain moving through. the rain was pouring down in oakland. people ducking under umbrellas as they were going about the business in the east bay and people likewise on the other side of the bay in san francisco trying to cover up and stay dry. this rain is expected to stick rn for a while. good afternoon. as you could see behind us, dark and gloomy. that is the story. i'm larry beil. >> and i'm ama daetz. let's look outside from mt. tamalpais and you see it all three lens for us. so let's get to spencer christian to find out more. >> i had rain on the lens of my glassest live doppler 7 and as they pointed out, the rain is widespread. most of it is light to moderate. we have had heavy downpours as we close in, you see the patches of yellow and orange indicating where we still have deaownpoursn peninsula and between san bruno and then in the south bay and in

white and pink indicating snow in the higher elevations. this ranks one on the storm impact scale and will continue with scattered showers and brief downpours into tomorrow morning. let's take a look at the forecast animation study. at 5:00 this afternoon, once again the rain will still be widespread and that means the roadways will be wet for the evening commute and could be a lot of slippery spots, even pooling in areas where there are downpours. but by 8:00 we see rain breaking up into more widely scattered showers and the storm is winding down into the overnight and early morning hours. but there is a lot more to come this weekend and i'll have a closer look at the seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> thank you, spencer. if you want to head up to tahoe this weekend, it is probably already too late. this is a live look from our tahoe heavenly mountain camera. these people enjoying the slopes, got up