right now on america this morning. candidates clash. >> if you can't manage a campaign, how are you going to manage a country? >> if fiery gop debate between nikki haley and ron desantis. key topics they discuss, plus takeaways from republican

frontrunner donald trump's town hall. the state of the race just ahead. tragedy on the slopes, police identifying the man killed by an avalanche at a ski resort near lake tahoe. >> how a storm in the area may have fueled that disaster, and what you need to know as the wicked weather heads east. >> hectic hearing hunter biden's surprise visit to capitol hill as house republicans were preparing to hold him in contempt of court, the dramatic moments, contentious questions and the major tax charges he's facing this morning, plus, starbucks sued the allegations of false advertising landing the coffee chain in hot water. contact sport the fight over one state's proposed tackle football ban, who the law would affect and the legal hurdles it faces, and all aboard the world's largest cruise ship arrives in miami. >> we'll tell you all about the amenities, making a big splash. it's thursday, january 11th. from abc news in new york.

>> this is america this morning. >> good morning everyone. i'm andrew dymburt. >> i'm andrea fujii in for rhiannon. we begin with the republican rivals slugging it out on the debate stage in iowa. ron desantis and nikki haley ripped into each other in the first one on one showdown, repeatedly accusing one another of lying. former president trump escaped most of the incoming fire as he tried to steal the spotlight with his own event, and the gop field just got a little smaller. >> abc's derek dennis has the latest right from the start of last night's feisty debate in des moines, iowa. >> the gloves between florida governor ron desantis and former un ambassador nikki haley were off. >> we don't need another mealy mouth politician who just tells you what she thinks you want to hear every time he lies. >> drake university don't turn this into a drinking game because you will be overserved by the end of the night. >> both candidates trying to prove they're the best alternative to former president trump. the frontrunner in the gop primary immigration a top

issue with desantis touting a trump tactic. we will build a wall. haley going after desantis for campaign finance issues. >> if you can't manage a campaign, how are you going to manage a country? >> the candidates also tangling over america's support for ukraine. >> we need to find a way to end this. people like nikki haley care more about ukraine's border than she does about our own southern border. >> if we support ukraine and israel, that's only 5% of our defense budget. >> so you're going to borrow that. >> this is about keeping americans safe. this is about preventing war. this is about keeping our military men and women from having to fight a war. and you only do that when you focus on national security, not telling lies to the american people that they have to choose. that is wrong. that's never been the case. haley and desantis did agree on one thing, both saying trump should have been on stage with them. >> he chose not to attend as he has skipped all of the other debates so far that has worked out pretty well for him. this one on one debate between haley and desantis featured a lot of them calling each other liars,

arguing about their records on foreign policy, their conservative credentials, whether they can be trusted. >> trump counterprogramming the debate with a town hall on fox news bragging about overturning roe v wade. >> for 54 years, they were trying to get roe v wade terminated and i did it. and i'm proud to have done it. >> another republican in the race, former new jersey governor chris christie, dropped out earlier yesterday and was caught on a hot mic criticizing haley's chances. she's going to get smoked and you and i both know it. >> she's not up to this. >> christie did not endorse either haley or desantis as he left the race, but polls show his supporters would likely get behind haley, giving her a boost ahead of the iowa caucuses next monday. andrea andrew. derek, thank you. >> it looks like former president trump will not get to make his own closing argument at his new york fraud trial today. the judge was open to the rare request only if trump agreed to certain restrictions like not delivering a campaign speech. defense attorneys called the conditions unfair for trump is

still expected to be in court next. >> the extreme weather hitting the plains and midwest today as a new winter storm moves east. the storm already dumped more than a foot of snow in the sierra nevada mountains, even triggering a deadly avalanche overnight. officials identifying the man who was killed in an avalanche at a ski resort near lake tahoe, 66 year old kenneth kidd, from nearby truckee, california, died during the rare incident which happened inside an area designated for skiers. three others were injured. skier marcus franklin, watching it all unfold, jumping into action to save those trapped. >> we attempted to organize like a grid search where you kind of move through the avalanche debris field, uh, strike, seeing the snow, hoping to hit a body. >> he captured the scramble to shovel out this man trapped beneath the snow, fueling that avalanche. a major winter storm impacting the area, creating heavy snowfall and wind gusts over 100mph. that storm is now

heading east to the already hard hit plains and midwest. before striking the northeast, hitting communities inundated with water from storms earlier this week, new video shows the scene tuesday night, firefighters near philadelphia helping a man trapped in a tree with water rushing all around him in norwich, connecticut, residents evacuated amid fears a dam on the yantic river could bust open . >> hopefully this dam will not go so that's our biggest fear right now. >> rivers are raging from maryland to maine. wow all that rain on top of the weekend. >> snow has rivers like the passaic here in new jersey running high and rising. >> those communities unlikely to see a break in precipitation. heavy rain and snow are predicted for many of those northeast areas beginning friday evening. but through it all, residents are showing their resilience in wayne township, new jersey, roads are overflowing with water unsafe to drive on, so julie lynch and her husband john bought a boat just to get to and from their house. >> it's crazy, but it's we got

to do what you got to do. >> in the south, severe weather is also on the horizon, with tornadoes damaging winds, and flooding all possible later this week, we'll take a closer look at the forecast coming up. >> overseas authorities in ecuador say they are making progress against gangs accused of creating chaos. they've arrested about 330 people and seized a vast arsenal and reclaimed 200 stolen vehicles. since the disappearance of a gang leader sunday sparked a wave of violence, it included a tv station raid where gunmen were seen on air. officials say peace will be restored as soon as possible. >> new video shows extensive damage after what ukrainian officials say was a russian missile strike on a hotel in the city of kharkiv. entire walls and some rooms were blown out and most balconies were destroyed, leaving huge piles of charred rubble on the street. the hotel has been used largely by the military and visiting journalists. at least 11 people were injured. >> now to hunter biden in court today on federal tax charges. it comes after his dramatic visit to capitol hill yesterday, the president's son walking into a

house hearing where republicans were preparing to hold him in contempt for violating a subpoena seeking his closed door testimony. this morning. hunter biden is expected to enter a plea for tax related charges in los angeles, where he lives accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes and taking false deductions. the president's son has called the charges politically motivated. he faces 17 years in prison if convicted and it comes just one day after hunter's high drama appearance on capitol hill. surprised lawmakers walking into a house hearing where republicans were preparing to hold him in contempt for refusing to testify behind closed doors. hunter biden has long said he would answer their questions, but only in public. hunter biden taking a seat right in the front row, the hearing thrown into chaos. >> you are the epitome of white privilege. coming into the oversight committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a

congressional subpoena to be deposed. what are you afraid of? you have no balls to come up here. >> democrat jared moskowitz of florida firing right back. i'm listening to the gentlelady from south carolina about the witness being afraid. >> made to come in front of the committee. it's interesting he's here. he doesn't seem to be too afraid. >> for years, republicans have tried to tie hunter biden's business relations to his father , but acknowledging they have found no concrete evidence of wrongdoing. after hunter sat silently for 20 minutes when chairman james comer called on republican marjorie taylor greene, who has attacked hunter biden in deeply personal terms. biden, walking out. >> thank you, mr. chairman. uh excuse me. hunter apparently you're afraid of my words. uh, here go. all biden's lawyer with this parting shot.

>> the republican chairs today, then are commandeering an unprecedented resolution to hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions. the question there is what are they afraid of now? >> now the house gop leadership will bring the contempt resolution to the house floor for a formal vote at a later date, which is yet to be determined. >> we get a new economic reading today, when the government's latest inflation report is released. it's expected to say prices were 3.2% higher last month than they were a year ago. that's slightly higher than november's reading. the report could be another clue into whether the fed will start cutting interest rates. >> time now for a look at your morning weather. >> good morning. today's weather map is pretty cold and snowy for much of the northern, central and western u.s. now we have to watch out for areas of east texas later tonight. severe weather is likely to develop,

including in places like dallas and eventually new orleans. as we head through friday, that severe weather threat will include tornadoes as it stretches into the carolinas. meantime, the cold side of this storm is the snowy side. they'll be travel delays. they'll be snow and wind going to be careful out there into saturday, accuweather meteorologist kevin koskinen. coming for aaron rodgers after his recent comments. >> also ahead, alaska airlines grounding its fleet of max nine jets for days, what it means for flight disruptions and a proposed law banning tackle football for kids. >> both sides of the debate as the bill clears the first major hurdle with lawmakers as

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a ferry boat crew member during a vicious storm off the coast of washington state. waves swamped the car deck, causing some of them to smash into each other. no passengers were on board and no injuries were reported. >> things were a lot more calm as the world's largest cruise ship arrived in miami for the first time, royal caribbean's icon of the seas is going through its final preparations for its maiden voyage, along with 20 decks, the ship also boasts the largest water park at sea and dozens of bars and restaurants. >> alaska airlines has canceled all its boeing max nine jet flights through saturday since last week's mid-air blowout. it has canceled about 20% of its schedule. united is also dealing with significant max nine cancellations. both carriers are waiting for guidance about inspections before their planes can fly again. abc's gio benitez has the details. >> the inspections delayed by alaska airlines and united waiting on critical documentation from the faa and boeing detailing what the airlines need to look for in order to get the max nine safely

back in the air. this as the ceo of boeing, again takes responsibility, acknowledging their mistake, saying a quality control failure led to that door plug flying off the alaska airlines jet 16,000ft in the air friday after a fuselage plug blew out. >> that's the mistake. >> an initial inspections united and alaska each finding loose bolts in the door plugs of other 737 max nines alaska canceling all max nine flights until saturday. but neither airline can fly the max nine until cleared by the faa, and questions for the company that manufactured the max nine fuselage spirit aerosystems, in a federal class action lawsuit, a former employee alleges the company's products suffered from an excessive amount of defects. the company wouldn't comment on pending litigation, but the ceo of boeing has confidence in spirit aerosystems. >> we're not going to point fingers there because yes, it escaped their factory, but then it escaped ours, too. and we've learned that this max nine

grounding is affecting about 300 flights per day between alaska and united. >> that's thousands of passengers stuck just trying to find a new way to get around gio benitez, abc news, chicago. so coming up, starbucks facing a lawsuit over its coffee. >> also ahead, two legendary coaches are exiting football. their impact on the game and new their impact on the game and new reaction from fans overnight ♪ stay ahead of your child's moderate—to—severe eczema, and they can show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent. the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your child's skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes, including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your child's eczema specialist about dupixent.

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oh... stuffed up again? so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh! >> sinex breathe. are. starbucks is being sued over allegations of deceptive advertising. >> a consumer advocacy group says the company's claim that its coffee is ethically sourced is false and misleading. the lawsuit cites media reports of abuses and harsh working conditions at some of the farms that supply starbucks with coffee and tea, starbucks says it will aggressively defend against the allegations, tackle football for kids under 12 could be banned for good in california, state lawmakers are considering the new law as a way to cut down on the risk of traumatic brain injury.

>> opponents claim that so far, science doesn't support such a ban, but advocates who have seen the effects of brain injuries first hand strongly disagree. we are not saying no tackle football for youth. >> we're saying reduce the years that children play, tackle football, that for children under 12, that they should play flag football. >> there is not medical consensus in this area. far from it. >> if the proposal becomes law, it would take effect in january of 2026. >> now to the end of an era in football, two legendary coaches, nick saban and pete carroll, are exiting the game. abc's danny new examines their storied careers. >> he's done a brilliant job. >> it's one thing to find out an all time great coach is stepping down and we have breaking news from chris lowe at this moment. but yesterday the football gods went for the two point conversion. was that a good game or what? alabama head coach nick saban shocking the sports world

with the announcement of his retirement only a few hours after seattle seahawks head coach pete carroll announced he was stepping down as well. >> it's been an honor and a thrill to be part of this program, carroll spoke first, getting emotional while looking back on his 14 year run with the seahawks of course, highlighted touchdown seattle by the city's only super bowl championship in 2014. >> however, it was actually a longer relationship that perhaps got to carroll the most when he started to thank his wife of nearly 50 years, glenna. >> the angel in my life. >> this is worth crying for. >> and mike garrett, the athletic director, hugging his head coach. carroll you may remember, also coached at usc. >> and speaking of college football and absurd records, it's nick saban in alabama's highest paid state employee. really sent tv and social media into a frenzy yesterday, announcing in a statement that he was retiring after 28 years as a head coach and 17 seasons with the crimson tide. he wrote

that he and his wife, terri, have, quote, enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at alabama as well as becoming a part of the tuscaloosa community. but let's now play a game called insane. nick saban stats he won the southeastern conference 11 times since 2008, his second year. alabama has never had less than ten wins. and of course, those seven national championships i mentioned six with bama and one with lsu is the most in college football history. danny new, abc news, new york. >> happy retirement to them both. coming up, mcdonald's is bringing back a fan favorite plus one golfer's miraculous journey from brain surgery back to the pga tour chances of a plane crash -- 1 in 11 million. you're not gonna finish those salted nuts, right? never waking up from anesthesia -- 1 in 185,000. validate your parking or just see how it goes? what? why stress about the unlikely? does a killer clown worry about being struck by lightning -while winning the lottery? -sure don't. but your odds of falling victim to online crime are 1 in 4.

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when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd things changed for me. breztri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. morning america, we're right here. >> and we got you. >> we got you, we got you. >> time to check the pulse and we begin with a remarkable

return to golf. >> gary woodland will be back on the course today. it's important because competing in a pga event in hawaii, this will be his first tournament since undergoing brain surgery last september. woodland saw a doctor after experiencing small seizures and uncontrollable fears. it turns out a lesion on his brain was causing it all. >> this lesion in my brain sat on the part of the brain that controls fear and anxiety. >> so he's like, you're not going crazy. um, everything you're experiencing is absolutely common and normal for where this thing is sitting in your brain to days after surgery, woodland walked out of the hospital. >> he says he can now focus mentally on the game. next, we might be hearing a little less from aaron rodgers going forward. >> the new york jets quarterback will no longer appear on espn's pat mcafee show during the current nfl season. the gig ended amid controversy sparked by rodgers comments about jimmy kimmel. it's unclear if rodgers will be back on the show next season. well, a sweet treat steeped in nostalgia is disappearing from store shelves. >> say it ain't so. we're

talking about fruit stripe gum. generations of americans have enjoyed the brightly colored striped sweets since 1960. from 1960. if you're a fan, stock up because the gum is being discontinued. and if you're a fan of mcdonald's big mac, get ready to double up starting in about two weeks, mickey d's is bringing back the double big mac. >> it includes four all beef patties and almost double the amount of sauce, but only one slice of cheese. adding up to a whopping 740 calories. that's it. you know, go great after a big mac, some fruit stripe gum. >> you can't do that no more top >> you can't do that no more top headlines next aah, it's a good day to cough. oh, no! bye, bye cough. later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours?! hmmm, ok. not coughing at yoga. antiquing not coughing? not coughing at the movies?! hashtag still not coughing?! aaah. oww! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief

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like a tragedy. >> this is a very sad day for my for my team and everyone here. >> a day on the slopes turned into a nightmare scenario. now, at 5:00, we're hearing from people who were at palisades tahoe when an avalanche struck. the announcement just made about plans to reopen today. >> i couldn't put myself up because thsn