tonight -- breaking news. longtime fox news star bill o'reilly is out. the network firing him today amid a growing list of sexual harassment claims and this evening we're just now hearing bill o'reilly's response. also breaking, new reporting as we come on tonight about the former patriot star discovered dead in his cell. authorities say it was a suicide. but tonight, new questions. also, what was written on his forehead. the stunning fall on the same day his former team headed to the white house. reversing course? new questions tonight after president trump said a very powerful armada is on its way to korea, was the ship really headed to the korean peninsula at the time or headed smas else? the head lines overseas asking, was the white house lying? severe storms hitting

news this evening on the condition of former president george h.w. bush. good evening. it's great to have you with us on wednesday night. we begin with the bombshell announcement from fox news that their biggest star is out. amid growing reports of sexual harassment that sparked an advertiser revolt. bill o'reilly will not be returning after a two-decade run. the announcement coming with o'reilly on planned vacation. he was seen today shaking hands with the pope at the vatican. short time ago we heard from bill o'reilly himself. his response tonight. here's abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis leading us off. you're about to enter the no spin zone. >> reporter: no spinning it tonight, the king of cable news, dethroned. bill o'reilly, the host of cable's most popular show for 16 years, out at fox news, fired in the wake of that growing

executives at fox's parent company, reportedly pushed for o'reilly's ouster. their father rupert murdoch ultimately signing off amid a growing scandal. 21st century fox announcing that, "after a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and bill o'reilly have agreed that bill o'reilly will not be returning to the fox news channel." bill o'reilly also releasing his own statement, "it is tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims. but that is the unfortunate reality many of us in the public eye must live with today." o'reilly's statement comes after those new images tonight, showing him on vacation shaking hands with the pope at the vatican today. back in new york, fox executives clearly were not forgiving. new accusers coming forward. including this african-american fox employee. her attorney says this picture shows her calling the company's anonymous tip line. alleging o'reilly would leer and grunt at her, calling

one of the few who has publicly defended o'reilly when the scandal broke? president trump, telling "the new york times." >> i think he's a person i know well, he is a good person. personally i think he shouldn't have settled. >> trump reportedly a friend of o'reilly's for years. and a frequent guest on his show. after the release of that infamous "access hollywood" video. >> i'm not gonna play it 'cause it's crude guy talk. >> reporter: then-candidate trump also defended former fox ceo roger ailes before he was forced out last summer after his own harassment scandal with multiple accusers coming forward. and tonight, after 20 years, a stunning fall for the fox host. one of o'reilly's accusers, radio host wendy walsh saying she doesn't want money. >> we know this is the tip of the iceberg. >> so let's get to our chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis

she's live outside fox news headquarters you're learning more about how fox reached this decision. >> that's right, david. in an internal fox memo the company says it reached this decision following an extensive review in collaboration with outside counsel and that memo was signed by rupert, lachlan and james murdoch. new reporting this evening after a former patriot star was discovered dead in his cell. authorities say it was a suicide. tonight, what was discovered written on his aaron hernandez's head when he was found in that cell. abc's eva pilgrim outside the prison in massachusetts tonight. >> reporter: tonight, questions surrounding the death of former nfl star aaron hernandez. his body now with the state medical examiner. abc news learning he was found in his cell with a bible verse written across his forehead referencing death and eternal life.

prison officials have called his death a suicide, saying he hanged himself with a bedsheet tied to his prison cell window. miami dolphins' mike pouncey posting, "today my heart hurts as i got the worse news i could have imagined. it was just a day ago we shared our last convo." but tonight, some of those close to him suspect foul play. >> something's not right. something doesn't add up. >> not guilty. >> reporter: pointing out 27-year-old hernandez was just acquitted five days ago in a 2012 double murder, emotional in court blowing kisses to his daughter. >> guilty of murder in the first degree. >> reporter: and appealing that life sentence for another murder, a stunning fall from grace for the former tight end for the patriots. once with $40 million contract. cut by the team after being led from his house in handcuffs arrested for the 2013 murder of his friend, odin lloyd. his lawyers saying, there were no conversations or correspondence from aaron that would have indicated anything like this was possible. aaron was looking forward to an opportunity for a second chance to prove his innocence.

many patriots who played alongside hernandez visited the white house to celebrate their super bowl victory. his cousin remembering those better days. >> he was the first one to make it from our side of the family he was the first one. >> david, authorities are now investigating the circumstances of hernandez's death are looking at his recent time here in prison. including any fights or gang-related disputes he may have had. we were told he was not on suicide watch. david. >> eva pilgrim in massachusetts, thank you. next tonight to new questions after president trump said a very powerful armada is on its way to korea. was the ship really headed to the korean peninsula at the time or was it headed some place else? and the headlines overseas asking, was the white house lying? we learn tonight that in fact at the time those ships were headed in the other direction. here's abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: the "uss carl vinson" strike group is finally on its way toward the koreanen

but the trump administration is now under fire for providing misleading information about the carrier's movement for over a week. "trump's lies on the 'carl vinson,'" declared a leading south korean newspaper today, reading "xi jinping and putin must be laughing," is the u.s. "bluffing" its north korean policy? last week, with the world on watch for a possible north korean nuclear test, president trump was talking tough. >> north korea is a problem, the problem will be taken care of. >> reporter: the president would not reveal his strategy but defense secretary james mattis said the "vinson" was changing course, heading to the korean peninsula. and the president said this -- >> we are sending an armada, very powerful. we have submarines, very powerful. >> reporter: reports about the "vinson" dominated news coverage in asia, from newscasts to the front pages of the south china morning post. press secr

asked if the administration was using the carrier to send a message to kim jong-un. his answer made it sound like the carrier group was indeed racing to the region. >> when you see a -- a carrier group steaming into an area like that, the forward presence of that is clearly, through almost every instance, a -- a -- a huge deterrent. >> reporter: but the "uss carl vinson" was not, in fact, steaming to the region. it was more than 3,000 nautical miles away, traveling in the opposite direction, heading south, away from the korean peninsula, to a previously scheduled joint military exercise off the coast of australia. the white house now acknowledges all of that but today still insisted it did not mislead anybody last week. >> the president said we'd have an armada going towards the peninsula. that's a fact. it happened. it is happening rather.

jon for people watching at home, keeping track of action taken overseas, the american military dropping that bomb on isis in afghanistan and of course, now, the tense standoff with north korea, late today secretary of state rex tiller with strong words now about iran. what is the trump administration now saying about that country in. >> secretary tillerson said iran is complying with the letter of the nuclear agreement that was signed by president obama but he had harsh words for iran support of terrorism in the middle east and suggest that iran is going down the same path as north korea. the administration is conducting a review whether to drop out of that nuclear agreement, david. >> jon karl with late news on iran today. one more note from syria this evening, a u.s. official now saying the syrian military has moved its aircraft from that base that was struck by u.s.

another syrian air base used by the russians. they appear to be trying to protect their aircraft. syrians are believed to have fewer than 100 operational aircraft at this time. we turn now back here at home to the special election in georgia being watched very cl e closely by president trump. millions of dollars poured into that state by democrats for jon ossoff. there will now be a runoff. we'll face former georgia secretary of state karen handel. tonight, both sides are calling it a victory. but that democrat can came very close to winning on a first try in a district that's gone republicans. here tonight abc's cecilia vega. >> reporter: as the gop gets its first scare at the ballot box, at town meetings across the country, many republicans are getting a fresh taste of voter

in iowa last night, senator joni ernst confronted with this question. >> i would like to know how you can support a man that treats women the way donald trump does? and he treats disabled people poorly as well. >> would you say that's character flaws? >> it's more than character flaws. >> well, and i think that we have a president that has a number of flaws. i would say i support more of the policies versus the actual person. >> the president is spending weekends in florida. >> reporter: ernst also agreeing with a constituent who asked why the president spends so much time at his florida resort, costing taxpayers millions. >> i do wish that he would spend more time in washington, d.c.,

that is why we have the white house for. that is something that has been bothering not just me, but i think other members of our caucus. >> trump has spent at least 24 of his 90 days in office at mar-a-lago. >> he won the election. >> reporter: at rowdy town halls, many republicans are being forced to defend the president. today, one republican familiar with the backlash. >> do your job! do you job! >> reporter: utah congressman jason chaffetz announced he's not seeking re-election. but said the decision was personal, not political. >> i just don't want to spend another 200-plus nights away from my family, it's that simple. >> reporter: the powerful chairman of the house oversight committee has famously championed the ongoing investigations into hillary clinton. they shook hands at the inauguration but when the image played on cable tv, chaffetz posting this picture saying "so pleased she is not the president." >> cecilia with us live tonight

lawmakers getting an eefrl there from constituents during recess. a they're coming back next week. >> david, that's right. tax reform is on the agenda, health care could be back on the agenda. something even bigger on the horizon, avoiding a government shutdown, that could happen next friday if congress doesn't pass a funding bill. next this evening a tornado watch in parts of three states up at this hour after damaging storms across the south already. look at this, near houston, flooded streets and homes after more than 8 inches of rain. this time lapse of a storm moving over nashville, tennessee, heavy rain there, blinding drivers during the evening commute. let's get right to rob marciano. hey, rob. >> hi, david. a four-day stretch of severe weather, tonight, it's firing in kansas and nebraska, tornado watch up there and into iowa until 10:00 tonight. also, big

big threat. it extends into kansas city and into iowa. now, a chilly chicago. tomorrow, a lot of action along that front. but the main, most damaging part is detroit and cleveland dayside. texas and oklahoma late in the day, with a larger impact. david. >> all right tracking it into the night, rob, our thanks to you there's still much more ahead tonight -- authorities looking for the suspects caught on camera. using molotov cocktails. four minutes of horror, disturbing new reporting tonight on the hate-crime shooting spree. who the gunman targeted and who he spared. the new discovery in space. larger than earth? scientists saying there could be life out there after all. we're back in a moment. things a. because as we live longer... and markets continue to rise and fall...

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it as a hate crime. four different shooting sites and tonight we're learning how the suspect allegedly chose his targets. here's abc's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: the shooting ram page took less than four minutes. >> we just got another call in with six shots fired. >> reporter: shaking the city of fresno to its core zackary randalls died behind the shattered windows of this utility company truck, it was his first day in the field. 37-year-old mark gassett just picked up food at a catholic charities office. >> he was a good-hearted person. very caring, very loving. >> reporter: 58-year-old david martin jackson, killed just feet away from gassett. police say 39-year-old, kori ali muhammad, was specifically targeting white people. >> death and destruction. >> reporter: in his social media accounts railed against "white devils" online and talked about "destroying the white man's world." >> he was going to kill as many

that's what he said out to do that day. >> police telling us tonight that muhammad came upon a hispanic family that was trying to flee. muhammad pointed the gun at them but spared their lives. news on former president george h.w. bush tonight. a home among the targets. tonight the reward to find the suspects the new image served up by serena williams today, so many people now asking, is there a new tennis champion on the way? [man] beautiful just like you. [woman] oh, why thank you. [burke] and we covered it, november sixth, two-thousand-nine. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

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why pause a spontaneous moment? cialis for daily use treats ed and the urinary symptoms of bph. tell your doctor about your medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, or adempas® for pulmonary hypertension, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have a sudden decrease or loss of hearing or vision, or an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis. to the index of other news tonight and texas police searching for three suspects who fire bombed a home and a vehicle. the attack caught on home surveillance. one suspect lobbing what police discovered a molotov cocktail at the front door of the home. there's reward now up tonight. a new planet larger thannette? scientists identifying the planet nearly seven times the size of

star that may be home to life. it's 39 light years away and it is now as a goldilocks planet. not too hot or too cold for water. stay tuned. and one of the world's greatest athletes serving up a new tennis champ -- perhaps. serena williams confirming the news tonight after she posted this snapchat with the message 20 weeks. she's due come the fall. former president george h.w. bush on the mend tonight. a spokesman saying he's gaining strength, under observation at the hospital after a mild case of pneumonia. the former president is said to be in high spirits. when we come back here tonight -- the new interview this evening with prince harry and what we have never heard before. allergy symptoms distracting you? doctors recommend taking claritin every day of your allergy season for continuous relief.

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finally tonight here, nearly 20 years after losing his mother, tonight the new interview with prince harry on his mother, his struggle and how he wants to free others from their pain, too. it was nearly 20 years ago, prince harry was just 12, saying good-bye to his mother. this week, prince william, prince harry and duchess kate teaming up for what's c

harry opening up about the therapy he needed after losing his mother. prince harry saying just tonight in a new interview, he heard from so many others who have suffered. >> after years of listening to stories from veterans and their families and then hearing some of the most heartwrenching stories based around what people have experienced it was only -- it was only right to share my experiences and to help, to hope, encourage others to come forward. >> reporter: and so he did. with extraordinary candor this past week. >> i can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12 and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life, but also my work as well. >> reporter: describing the depths of his sadness after losing his mother. >> i've probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions. >> reporter: his campaign with his brother to end stigma around nt

>> need to remove the stig that around mental health. >> reporter: what would his mother think. >> i think she would be proud of the campaign and proud of us. she would be overwhelmed and hugely encouraged by the fact that the uk not knowing for wanting to talk about mental health issues has suddenly gotten to this point. >> helping to remove the stigma. i hope to see you right back here tomorrow. from all of us here at abc news, good night.

welcome to "wheel" around the world. man: [ singing in foreign language ] ♪ wheel... of... fortune! ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of america's game -- pat sajak and vanna white! [ cheers and applause ] -hi, everybody. thank you, jim. -thank you. you enjoy that walk? -i did. i did, too, for some reason. -well, it's over. -okay. hi! nice of you to show up here. first "toss up" comin' up. $1,000, what we'll give away. "on the map" is the category. vanna is all set, and here we go. ♪ [ bell chimes ] deanna. bangkok thailand. yeah, that's it. [ cheers and applause ]