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tv   ABC World News Tonight With David Muir  ABC  April 12, 2024 3:30pm-4:01pm PDT

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david muir is next, and i'll see you back here at four. tonight, the deadly crash. a stolen truck intentionally plowing into a texas building. powerful storms slamming northeast at this hour. israel bracing for an imminent attack from iran that could come at any minute. the images coming in, a
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stolen tractor-trailer barrels its way through a texas public safety office. at least one person killed, more than a dozen injured. authorities say the driver rammed the building on purpose. a deputy already chasing that stolen truck. what we're learning about the suspect and a possible motive. marcus moore at the scene. heavy rain and strong winds up to 50 miles per hour hitting the northeast. neighborhoods further south underwater. cars washed away. wind alerts from georgia to maine. rob marciano tracking it all. tonight, tensions rising in the middle east. israel's iron dome intercepting dozens of rockets fired by hezbollah. at the same time, israel bracing for a potential attack from iran at any moment. the u.s. warning iran has more than 100 cruise missiles ready for a potential strike. retaliation for the deadly israeli attack killing iranian commanders in syria. britt clennett in israel. a high-stakes meeting at mar-a-lago. donald trump and speaker mike
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johnson taking questions just moments ago. rachel scott pressing trump on where he stands on abortion rights and how he responded. arizona's abortion battle in the national spotlight. vice president kamala harris in arizona calling on lawmakers to repeal the state's 160-year-old abortion ban and blaming donald trump for the chaos surrounding the supreme court overturning roe v. wade. mary bruce at the white house. police searching for suspects wanted for a deadly car jacking in florida. chilling video shows an armed suspect wearing a mask getting into the victim's suv. a mother in texas facing charges, accused of leaving her two young children home alone while she went on a cruise. robert mcneil, the longtime anchor for pbs. the march of the penguins leading to a massive leap of faith and captured for the first time on video.
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>> whit: good evening. thanks for joining us on this friday night. i'm whit johnson in for david. several developing stories as we come on tonight. powerful winds lashing the northeast into the weekend. gusts up to 50 miles per hour. and israel bracing for an imminent attack from iran, threatening a major escalation in the war. we begin with that breaking news from outside houston. a deadly incident at a state government office. a driver stealing an 18-wheeler, plowing it into the building right where people were waiting for driver's license services. authorities say it was an intentionally act. 13 people injured, one person died. the driver then backing out. officials say they stopped him before he struck again and took the building down. a suspect taken into custody now facing multiple felony charges. tonight what we're learning about that driver's past and what might have triggered this deadly act. abc's marcus moore leads us off
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in brenham, texas. >> reporter: tonight, a deadly scene outside houston after authorities say a driver intentionally slammed a stolen 18-wheeler loaded with steel bars through the front door of the department of public safety in brenham, texas, killing one person and injuring at least 13 others. >> 90-year-old female. blunt trauma impact from an 18-wheeler hitting a building where she was sitting. >> reporter: the crash coming at around 10:30 in the morning. police say a deputy was already chasing that stolen truck when the driver crashed it through the doors and into a public waiting area for driver's licenses. >> the driver fled from law enforcement. the stolen 18-wheeler took a hard right turn and went into the dps brenham office. >> reporter: three of the critically wounded airlifted for medical treatment. >> we got two critical trauma patients here on the ground waiting on aircraft. so we'd like to try and turn this pretty quickly. >> reporter: the suspect, 42-year-old clenard parker, was arrested at the scene. police say he had been denied a commercial driver's license at the dps location just yesterday. >> while he was there, the driver's license staff advised
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parker that he was not eligible to renew his commercial driver's license. >> reporter: officials tell us police stopped parker before he could take the building down. >> they said he was trying to back into the building again? >> he backed it out where you see it now, he had backed it up and was getting ready to go back in a second time. >> reporter: whit, those working at law enforcement and government buildings across the country have been at a heightened state of vigilance over the risk of terrorism. but officials here in texas have given no indication that today's incident was an act of terror. whit? >> all right, marcus moore for us tonight, thank you. now to those powerful winds on the move tonight. gusts up to 50 miles per hour. flight delays in philly, new york, and boston. wind advisories from georgia up to maine. the system triggering flash flooding in glenville, west virginia. a flash flood emergency near pittsburgh as well after nearly 4 inches of rain in a matter of hours. you can see these high-water rescues in oakdale, pennsylvania. the winds lasting into the weekend, and a new severe
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weather outbreak is taking shape for next week. abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano tracking it all. >> reporter: tonight, that powerful storm system delivering a final lashing to the northeast with wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour and rounds of heavy rain. in the overnight hours, torrents of rain triggering flash flooding west of pittsburgh. up to 4 inches of rain falling. water rescue teams evacuating at least nine people from their homes. the rain wreaking havoc in west virginia. this road in the town of glenville transformed into a fast-moving river. one car flipped on its side. on the coast, high winds tearing the roof off this motel in myrtle beach. >> four pieces went flying through the air. one piece almost hit a car. >> reporter: at least 19 confirmed tornadoes across six states this week. >> hey, can you hear me? >> reporter: tonight, this newly released police body camera video capturing the devastation in slidell, louisiana, just moments after an ef-2 tornado hit. >> just sit tight, we have help
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coming. >> reporter: the officer locating a woman trapped inside an suv. firefighters able to remove her safely. >> let's get to rob marciano. rob, this storm still packing a punch tonight? >> yeah, the low center continues to intensify. the winds around are up to 50 miles per hour. power outage in parts of the great lakes. those advisories remain up. showers and snow showers tomorrow. winds actually will continue to increase through the i-95 corridor in the afternoon before finally beginning to wind down on sunday just as the next system comes into the west. california gets it this weekend with rain, snow, and mountain wind and snow. it gets into the plains monday and tuesday. a classic severe weather setup on monday. then pushing into the mississippi valley on tuesday. tornados likely both of those days and potentially beyond. whit? >> whit: all right, we'll brace for another round, rob, thank you. overseas and israel on high alert bracing for iran to retaliate for an israeli air strike on an iranian consulate in syria. u.s. officials say iran has readied more than 100 cruise
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missiles. the pentagon now moving more troops and ships to the middle east. and president biden with a new warning to iran. abc's britt clennett is in israel. >> reporter: tonight, israel's iron dome intercepting a barrage of rockets fired by iran's backed militia group hezbollah. officials saying at least 40 rockets were launched into northern israel from southern lebanon. many shot down by israeli air defense. it comes as israel braces for what sources say could be a much larger attack from iran itself at any moment. u.s. officials telling abc news tehran has readied more than 100 cruise missiles and a sizable number of drones over the past week for a possible strike from iran on multiple targets inside israel. late today, president biden warning that attack could come "sooner than later," delivering a blunt message to iran. >> mr. president, what's your message to iran in this moment? >> don't. we are devoted to the defense of israel.
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we will support israel. we will defend -- help defend israel, and iran will not succeed. >> reporter: tonight the u.s. moving new assets into the region, including troops, ships, and aircraft, to protect u.s. forces. two navy destroyers already in the mediterranean sea on hand to provide missile defense. the u.s. hoping to deter iran and prevent a wider war. iran vowing retaliation for an israeli airstrike on the iranian consulate in syria earlier this month that killed top military commanders. president biden was just asked if he's concerned about iran killing americans. biden telling reporters, "i'm always afraid of that." and whit, officials here in israel are promising if iran attacks israel from its territory, israel will attack inside iran. whit? >> whit: britt clennett in israel again tonight, thank you. back in the u.s., the abortion battle front and center in the race for the white house. donald trump taking questions at mar-a-lago today. our rachel scott asking the
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former president where he stands on abortion rights. here's rachel with how he responded. >> reporter: tonight, former president donald trump telling me that though he once vowed to sign a federal abortion ban, it's now no longer necessary as he once again took credit for the supreme court's decision overturning roe v. wade. while you were in office, you said that you would sign a federal abortion ban if congress sent it to your desk. why should americans trust your word that you would not do it now if you were re-elected? >> because we don't need it any longer. because we broke roe v. wade, and we did something that nobody thought was possible. we gave it back to the states. >> reporter: trump's about-face comes as he acknowledges abortion is now a losing issue for republicans at the ballot box. it will now be on the ballot on as many as 14 states this year, including several crucial battlegrounds. over the years, trump has taken positions on both sides of the issue. >> i'm very pro-choice. i'm pro-life. >> reporter: today i asked where
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he stands right now. he would not say. over the last few decades, mr. president, you have both considered yourself pro-choice and pro-life, which one is it? >> well, you know exactly which one it is. and when i was in new york and when i was a democrat also, just like ronald reagan, you know, ronald reagan was a democrat. we sort of followed a very similar path. but if you look at what we've done with roe v. wade, we did something that everyone said couldn't be done, and we got it done. >> reporter: former president donald trump standing next to embattled speaker of the house mike johnson, who is facing threats to his leadership. it's a strong show of support from the former president. in the past, johnson has endorsed a federal ban on abortion. today, he did not address the issue. remember, trump's first criminal trial begins on monday. today, the former president said he would testify. whit? >> whit: rachel scott, thank you. meantime, vice president kamala harris in arizona tonight days after that court decision upholding a civil war-era ban on abortions. the vice president blaming donald trump for the chaos,
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saying a second trump term would be worse. here's abc's chief white house correspondent mary bruce. >> reporter: vice president harris tonight touching down in what is now ground zero in the debate over reproductive rights. >> here in arizona, they have turned the clock back to the 1800s to take away a woman's most fundamental right, the right to make decisions about her own body. >> reporter: just days after the critical battleground state upheld a 160-year-old law banning abortion in all cases, except to protect the life of the mother, harris, the biden campaign's chief messenger on abortion, hammering a simple message -- donald trump did this. >> just minutes ago, standing by speaker johnson, donald trump just said, the collection of state bans is “working the way it is supposed to.” [ boos ]
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and as much harm as he has already caused, a second trump term would be worse. >> reporter: arizona one of 21 states to ban or severely restrict abortion rights since the supreme court overturned roe v wade. >> this is 2024. not the 1800s. and we're not going back. we are not going back. >> reporter: the biden campaign hoping the issue of abortion will drive voters to the polls in november, are going to do everything they can to get this message across. the vice president tonight escalating her attacks, labeling these new restrictions in states across the country the "trump abortion bans." whit? >> whit: mary bruce at the white house tonight, thank you. now to that deadly carjacking north of orlando. getting into the back seat of a white dodge durango.
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the victim, a 31-year-old woman, now believed dead. tonight, an urgent search under way for multiple suspects. here's abc's erielle reshef. >> reporter: tonight, the urgent manhunt in central florida for this masked gunman, caught in terrifying video appearing to carjack an suv in broad daylight, now suspected of killing the woman who was inside. >> this wasn't just a random incident. a horrible, horrible frightening situation. >> reporter: at the height of rush hour, around 5:00 p.m. yesterday, the driver of this dodge durango called her husband to say she was being followed by a green acura, which rammed her back bumper. later, the armed assailant is seen exiting that car pointing a gun at the driver. >> tells her, we suspect, "unlock the door," which she does. he jumps in the rear passenger seat behind the driver. >> reporter: authorities say that the vehicle took backroads to a new construction site. witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing smoke from the suv set ablaze.
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>> one person was deceased and found in that vehicle. >> reporter: the victim believed to be 31-year-old katherine altagarcia guerrero de aguasvias. law enforcement now searching multiple suspects. authorities believe the victim may have been targeted, and they're asking anyone with information to come forward. whit? >> whit: a truly disturbing case. erielle, thank you. and today on capitol hill, the house of representatives voted to reauthorize a key law in the fight against terrorism after donald trump called on republicans to kill it. this is section 702 of the so-called fisa law. it allows u.s. intelligence agencies to spy on the communications of foreign nationals without a warrant. it passed after a compromise authorizing it for two years, pushing any further debate into a possible trump presidency if he were to win. when we come back, the deadly police shoot-out in memphis. two other officers wounded.
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leaving her two young children home alone while she went on a cruise. authorities say lakisha woods williams abandoned her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter for days while she went on vacation. deputies finding the children in a filthy apartment during a wellness check. they say the mother left a web camera and a cell phone so she could check in on them. when we come back, the former interpreter accused of stealing millions of dollars from dodge star shohei ohtani makes his first appearance in federal court. and remembering a legendary news anchor. but in over and over...e 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, big things can happen.
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going to casinos. the judge also ordered him to receive treatment for a gambling addiction. tonight, a new cdc warning about measles outbreaks across the u.s. at least 121 cases reported in 17 states so far this year. because of vaccinations, measles had been considered eliminated in the u.s. nearly 25 years ago. the cdc says the rapid increase in cases could threaten that status. 95% of the cases this year were patients not fully vaccinated. two passings to note tonight. we learned today famed italian fashion designer roberto has died. his flashy creations attracting celebrity fans for decades. the company bearing his name playing tribute to a "life lived with love." roberto cavari was 83. and legendary news anchor robert macneil has died. a giant in the industry,
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cofounder of what is now "the pbs newshour," anchoring his own show before partnering with jim lehrer for the long-running "macneil lehrer report." his career defined by dedication and commitment to journalism. robert macneil was 93. when we come back, who says penguins can't fly? the proof still ahead. some things should stand the test of time. long lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision and can help you go up to 4 months between treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain or redness, or allergies to eylea hd, don't use. eye injections like eyla hd may cause eye infection, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there's an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots.
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to the ocean, crowding the edge of a 50-foot cliff in west antarctica. >> what on earth is going on here? >> whit: about 700 of them. hesitating at first -- until one brave chick takes the plunge. splashing into the icy waters below. >> i can't believe that. he's made it. >> whit: then, one by one and in groups, they jump. >> here they go, here they go. >> whit: this first of its kind footage captured just a few months ago by "national geographic" photographer birdie gregory. >> i've only ever seen emperors jump in off the sea ice, and that's a couple of feet maximum. >> whit: scientists say it's another sign of their resilience as sea ice continues to decline. the rite of passage known as fledging. their first trip from their colony to the ocean. >> how's that for your first
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swimming lesson? >> whit: and these heroic high dives captured for the first time for all of us to enjoy. just incredible images. the future docuseries "secrets of the penguins" and additional earth month content is available on our parent company's streaming platform, disney plus. thank you so much for watch tonight. i'm whit johnson in new york. have a great night. oh oh. >> an ugly scene on the streets of south san francisco, a peninsula man squares off against peaceful protesters. he now faces battery and hate speech charges. good afternoon. >> i'm kristen sze and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. we'll have that story in just a moment. but we're going to begin
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in the north bay at a very sad ending. now, in the search for a teenage boy missing in the russian river. uh. that's about 70 miles, of course, from san francisco. >> the young man was last seen swimming near steelhead beach, north of forestville, again north of san francisco. >> here's abc seven news reporter cornell bernard with an urgent message from first responders about being safe on the water. >> friends and family and brothers and sisters, it's a tough day. >> first responders sharing sadness of a water rescue on the russian river, which became a recovery mission very sad ending. >> this is never what we want. in the end, the sonoma county sheriff's department says the body of a teenage boy was pulled from the russian river friday afternoon. >> the search for him began late thursday after a911 call that two teens got into trouble while swimming. >> one of the teens made it out of the water and the other did not. >> the surviving teen was sent to the hospital. dive teams from napa and sacramento counties