salinas is celebrating 150 years of its incorporation with special events. this weekend. the city in monterey county was founded when the railroad was built to connect the valley to the rest of the state, and as far as the nickname salad bowl, the salinas valley region produces roughly 70% of the lettuce grown in california did not know that. i suddenly feel very hungry at this time. who makes all the croutons? oh, that's a good one, i know. now i'm really hungry thinking about it. well, that's all the time we have for this edition of abc seven news at five. stay with us. we're back in just 30 several developing stories as we come on the air. south carolina completes a perfect season. beating iowa and caitlin clark for the title. plus, millions of americans are getting set for a fleeting phenomenon courtesy of mother nature. first, all hail to the champs, south carolina, the new

national champions in women's college basketball. the gamecocks just too strong even with clark scoring 30 points. clark, the all-time leading scorer in college captivating the nation. with ticket prices soaring. the semifinals joining the biggest basketball audience in espn's history. her next stop, the wnba. fans already eagerly scooping up tickets to see her play. also tonight, the final countdown to the solar eclipse. the latest forecast for our team on which cities have the best chance to see it. from texas to maine, millions on the move. a mad dash to get to prime viewing areas. car rental companies redeploying personnel to handle the crush. small business owners hoping to cash in. some told be ready to sleep in their stores. team coverage of the eclipse across america. the major developments in the middle east tonight. six months after the hamas attack on israel, the israelis withdraw all of their troops from southern gaza. is this the first step in a ground invasion of rafah which the israelis say is the last

hamas stronghold. iran issues a dire warning, appearing to threaten an attack on israel's embassies. frightening images. southwest airline passengers capture the moment an engine cover ripped away on takeoff. the pilot declares an emergency and turns around. if you bought groceries at walmart, you may be getting money back. the retail giant is accused of overcharging customers. walmart has agreed to pay $45 million to settle a lawsuit while denying any wrongdoing. we have a winner. someone is holding a powerball ticket worth more than a billion dollars. we'll tell you where it was sold. and some last-minute tips for watching and capturing the once in a generation eclipse safely. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight." >> linsey: good evening, everyone. thanks so much for joining us on this busy sunday. i'm linsey davis. there is a lot to get to in

these final hours before tomorrow's total eclipse. we have team coverage including the forecast. the scary moments aboard a southwest airlines plane as an engine cover flies off. but we do begin with the battle on the hardwood. just before we came on the air, the south carolina gamecocks were crowned national champions defeating caitlin clark and iowa. south carolina overcame an early deficit to take home their third title in seven years. it was a disappointing finish for iowa guard caitlin clark's record-breaking college career. she's expected to be the first pick at next week's wnba draft. clark is credited with igniting new interest in the women's game, changing it forever. abc's will reeve leads us off from cleveland. >> reporter: tonight, south carolina is perfect. >> perfection with a touch of sweet redemption. >> reporter: the gamecocks winning the women's ncaa basketball title over caitlin clark and iowa in a thriller, 87-75. >> caitlin clark says goodbye to

college basketball. >> reporter: it's south carolina's second title in three years and third overall. coach dawn staley's team, the tenth in history to achieve an undefeated season, emotional post game. >> i'm so incredibly happy for our players. it doesn't always end like you want it to end. much like last year. it's awesome. it's awesome. it's unbelievable. >> reporter: iowa superstar clark playing the final game of her singular collegiate career, scoring 30 point, starting off strong. >> she has 18, the most ever in a championship quarter. >> reporter: it wasn't enough to overcome the undefeated champions south carolina. she moves on as the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history. but without the crown jewel of a national championship. clark's pursuit of greatness has helped bring unprecedented attention to the women's college game. ticket sales for iowa home games skyrocketing this year, as were the average prices for the final four showdowns earlier this week.

but it's not just on the court where records are being broken. iowa's elite eight victory over last year's champion lsu setting a ratings record, which was shattered just days later. the hawkeyes' final four thriller over uconn the most watched basketball game in espn's history. the previous record for an espn basketball broadcast was game seven of the 2018 nba eastern conference finals between the cleveland cavaliers and boston celtics. that captured just over 13.5 million viewers. but tonight, south carolina celebrating as national champions once more. clark will now enter next week's wnba draft as the presumptive number one pick. and the caitlin clark effect is already hitting the league. ticket sales are up across the board, but linsey, one more game in this college season tomorrow night, the men's national title game. uconn against purdue down in phoenix. uconn has a chance to repeat. they would be the first to do that since the university of florida in 2007.

>> linsey: will, thank you. robin roberts will have much more on that game tomorrow on "good morning america." all that basketball excitement may soon be eclipsed by celestial excitement as we're in the final countdown to the solar eclipse. from small towns to big cities, texas to maine, more than 2,000 miles long. millions are preparing to witness the once in a generation event to the u.s. that is now hours away. our team is spread out across the country tracking the preparations for the big event. we start with the question that so many are asking, will the weather cooperate? or will cloud coverage put a damper on it for some spectators. abc meteorologist somara theodore joining us from indianapolis. all right, time this all out for us. >> reporter: we're here at the indianapolis speedway where folks are gearing up for the eclipse tomorrow afternoon. let's follow the forecast. along the path of totality. we'll start in del rio, texas. we're anticipating a lot of cloud coverage, but fingers crossed we get breaks in the cloud. then russellville, carbondale,

indianapolis, where we'll see improving conditions and a lot of clearing taking place through cleveland. as we make our way into niagara falls we could see more midlevel and high level clouds with the best viewing conditions being in burlington, vermont, and maine. what will happen in the actual moment of totality, temperatures will drop from 5 to 15 degrees. winds will also grow much calmer. one thing i would like to leave folks with, if you're leaving the texas region after the eclipse, severe weather will be moving through. we could see large hail, strong winds and the threat for an isolated tornado. linsey. >> linsey: good information there, somara, thank you. that forecast so crucial for the millions hitting the roads hoping to get the best view of the eclipse. extra flights have been added and officials are warning of high volumes of traffic on the nation's roads. abc's ike ejochi joining us from here in new york city. which is outside the pat of totality, but it sounds like residents here will still have a pretty good vantage point. >> reporter: that's right, all

along the path of totality, officials want you to expect delays not only on the roads, but especially here in the air. the faa issuing a travel warning from tonight to wednesday. anticipating a lot of traffic in the skies, not just for the eclipse but also for spring break. they expect nearly 150,000 flights from today until tuesday. now, millions of people are expected to travel to see this event. according to airbnb, one out of four guests with a reservation tonight have booked a stay along the path of totality. that spans over 2,000 miles, with texas among the most booked states and indianapolis representing the most booked city. on the roads, expect no different. the d.o.t. expects congest and distracted driving. on roads along that path of totality. they're saying avoid traveling if you can. if you happen to be on the roads, don't pull over to the side to take a look. and definitely look out for pedestrians. linsey. >> linsey: great tips there, ike. thank you. many of the millions ike mentioned who are traveling are heading to some of the small towns along the path.

places that are pulling out all the stops for the expected influx of visitors. place like waxahachie, texas. population 45,000 where we're bracing for at least 100,000 guests. abc's reena roy has more on the preparations under way from niagara falls, new york. >> reporter: tonight, the clock is ticking down to a historic moment across america. a total solar eclipse from texas all the way to maine. with 31 million people in the path of totality, more than 2,000 miles long. across 15 states. >> i don't think any of those will be more excited than i am. >> reporter: small towns bracing for an influx of visitors. waxahachie, just south of dallas, texas expecting over 100,000 skywatchers. >> they even told us to be prepared to sleep in our store if we needed to. so on monday, i'm thinking just because of traffic. >> reporter: hundreds of schools closed for the day or dismissing early. some areas even declaring a state of emergency to keep

traffic flowing and resources ready to go if needed. >> we're going to see quite a bit of traffic trying to find that perfect spot. and we are advising motorists be prepared to be in traffic for quite a while. >> reporter: millions of eclipse chasers traveling near and far for a front row seat. >> you woke up at 4:30 this morning. >> reporter: like retired teacher rebecca causey from greensboro, north carolina. my seatmate on our flight to the buffalo-niagara falls region today, who will be experiencing her second total eclipse. why do it for a second time? >> it's magical. it's fun. educational. >> reporter: floridian felix renta also heading to the area. >> totality is -- is -- i don't know, indescribable. >> reporter: caitlin kenny is traveling with her husband and 3-month-old son jack. >> and i think it's going to be pretty interesting and especially for this little guy so -- >> reporter: in new york city, a long line of people hoping to get protective solar glasses, but some places running out.

and niagara falls here as we know certainly no stranger to tourists. but even local officials here are preparing to break records with about 1 million people expected. hotels and businesses ramping up staffing. and also a state-wide interagency task force has been preparing for the last 18 months for these massive crowds. linsey. >> linsey: something we won't see again until 2044. reena, thank you. >> i'll be out there alongside david with unprecedented live coverage of the total solar eclipse joined by robin roberts, whit johnson, and the entire team. coverage of the eclipse begins on "gma" tomorrow morning and continues at 1:00 p.m. with the main event at 2:00 right here on abc and all of our streaming platforms. abc news live, nat geo, hulu, and disney plus. a scare aboard a southwest airlines jet taking off from denver. video taken inside the plane shows the engine cover breaking away and shearing off the engine as the plane ascends.

the pilots immediately declared an emergency and returned to the airport. details now from abc's jaclyn lee. >> reporter: tonight, the stunning moment part of the engine cover rips off a southwest flight as frightened passengers look on. >> oh they're both gone. >> reporter: watch again as the cover flails in the wind and tears right off. >> let's go ahead and declare an emergency for southwest 3695. and, we'd like an immediate return. we got a piece of the engine cowling hanging off, apparently. >> reporter: the houston-bound flight with 143 people on board, including two lap babies, forced to make an emergency landing sunday morning. here on the flight path, you can see the pilot suddenly loops back around, diverted back to denver international airport just after take-off. >> the seat that i was sitting in was right directly in front of that engine. >> reporter: lisa says she was on her way to witness the eclipse when she felt a jolt, looked out from her window seat and lit up the call button. >> the flight attendant walked back, looked out my window and

went, "oh my gosh." there were a lot of people who were really quite nervous. lots of don't take off your seatbelts. >> reporter: in a statement, southwest airlines saying it was a mechanical issue and "we're working now to get customers on their way to houston on another aircraft. our maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft." as for lisa, she's determined to see the eclipse in little rock, arkansas. >> i wanted to be in the path of totality. i think i made it. i hope we get there on time. >> reporter: linsey, authorities say once the boeing 737 landed in denver it was towed back to the gate. passengers then boarded another flight to houston where it safely landed. the faa is leading the investigation. linsey. >> linsey: glad to hear everyone was safe. thank you. overseas now, today israel announced it was withdrawing some of its forces from southern gaza bringing its troop presence there to the lowest level since the war began six months ago today. the move is raising questions when and if israel will send ground forces into rafah where more than 1 million refugees have fled. britt clennett reports from tel

aviv. >> reporter: tonight, israel saying it is withdrawing ground troops from southern gaza in preparation for future operations. including an expected ground offensive into rafah. "the war in gaza continues”, idf chief herzi halevi says, “and we are far from stopping.” idf officials telling abc news some forces continue to operate in the gaza strip to quote “preserve its freedom of action.” israel leaving the southern city of khan younis after the idf says hamas “ceased to exist as a military framework” there. residents today returning home to wreckage, and devastation. “it's a shock” one man says “the destruction is unbearable”" israel saying rafah is hamas's last major stronghold, but it's also where 1.3 million displaced palestinians fled for safety from central and northern gaza. prime minister benjamin netanyahu facing mounting pressure abroad and at home.

for a second night, israelis coming out in huge crowds demanding their hostages come home. anger inside israel over those yet to be rescued hostages spilling out onto the streets. israel also on high alert from imminent threats from iran, vowing to retaliate blaming israel for the deadly bombing of its consulate in syria which killed seven revolutionary guard members including a top commander. one iranian military adviser quoted saying none of israel's embassies are safe anymore. speaking to abc news, world central kitchen founder jose andres livid over what he believes was a targeted attack a clearly marked convoy of aid workers on monday. >> obviously, these are targeted. we could argue the first one, let's say, was a mistake. the second, the third. >> reporter: the idf says it's made grave mistakes and the charity did coordinate with them beforehand and we're told an israeli delegation is now in

cairo along with hamas representatives and cia director bill burns to hammer out a hostage and cease-fire deal. linsey. >> linsey: britt, thank you. president biden is under increasing pressure as the war drags on. let's bring in senior white house correspondent selina wang. this announcement of the israeli withdrawal that britt mentioned comes in the wake of that phone call between president biden and benjamin netanyahu. break this all down. what do we think is going on here? >> reporter: the white house is not confirming those israeli troops are preparing for a ground invasion of rafah. the white house says a ground invasion of rafah would lead to humanitarian catastrophe, and they have been urging the israelis to take a more targeted approach. this comes days after that tense phone call between biden and netanyahu. the president pressing netanyahu to do more to protect civilians in gaza or else the u.s. will change its policy. some house democrats are pressuring biden to go even further, saying the u.s. should not send any more weapons to

israel after the strike that killed seven of those humanitarian aid workers. israel has since then agreed to open new border crossings to allow more humanitarian aid into gaza but a senior white house official tells me that may not be enough. to meet the president's threshold. linsey. >> linsey: we'll see soon enough. thank you. now to the race for the white house. former president trump is far behind president biden when it comes to fund-raising, but trump got a big boost this weekend, according to organizers his campaign raked in a whopping $50 million at a palm beach fund-raiser. let's bring in jay o'brien from washington. what more are you learning? >> reporter: tonight, a campaign official telling abc news at that exclusive fund-raiser, former president trump telling that group of ultra wealthy donors if he took office again, he would work to keep their taxes low by expanding his trump era tax cuts. the campaign saying it raked in a whopping $50 million from this event. it was the republican response to that massive democratic fund-raiser last week with president biden and former

presidents clinton and obama that brought in an estimated $26 million. a record number for that party. now, the trump campaign is still trailing democrats in their overall campaign cash, filings showing former president trump using much of his campaign war chest to pay for his mounting legal bills. linsey. >> linsey: jay o'brien for us. thanks so much. there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this sunday. if you bought groceries at walmart, you might be eligible to get some money back. and later, safety first. the best ways to watch the solar eclipse. ♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change. because when you push for smarter solutions,

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tomorrow's solar eclipse safely. first and foremost, to avoid damaging your eyes, don't look directly at the sun without glasses approved by the american astronomical society. you may still be able to find them at drugstores or your local library. if that's not an option, our chief meteorologist gingen zee can show you how you can easily make a pinhole projector to view the eclipse with your back to the sun. you'll need a cereal box, aluminum foil, and tape. her video is up on our website. taking pictures will be tricky. you might not get the best resolution without using a filter. they're available at most photo stores. thanks so much for watching. solar system during tomorrow's full solar eclipse. some top spots to watch it here in the bay area. as you know, everything is really expensive right now and rents keep going up. tenants mobilize and conquer to spread the word about a new city approved cap on rent increases. why renters won't

benefit anytime soon and a late start now. this another disappointment for crab fishermen who those and those who enjoy local dungeness crab. abc seven news at six starts right now. >> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> it'll be a once in a lifetime event for many people. we are on eclipse. watch with what you need to know to make the most of tomorrow's solar show. good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm dionne lim. for millions of americans in 13 states, there will be a total eclipse tomorrow. here is a look at the path. there's a lot of excitement for the celestial show. even here in the bay area, where will only see a partial eclipse. abc seven news reporter cornell bernard has information for us on how to watch and where . >> super festive atmosphere in junction, texas, where physicist doctor desiree whitmore from san