good morning on this new year's day. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm lauren lyster. here are some of the top "world news now." it's now 2016 practically everywhere in the world. the new years welcomed in new york, times square and many other cities. a few scaled back or canceled events all together fearing terrorism. >> and those celebrations went on as planned in dubai despite the huge fire engulfing one of the city's biggest hotels. investigators now trying to figure out what sparked the skyscraper foul. they have ruled out terrorism.

and illinois are beginning to recede. roads and homes are underwater and transportation through the region is a mess having an impact on the rest of the country. also in the headlines this morning, a new twist in the case against bill cosby. the comedian is facing his first criminal charges of sexual assault after allegations made by more than 50 women. >> now there's a new legal battle involving cosby's wife. abc's mara schiavocampo has the story. >> reporter: the playing out in the court of public opinion. after the 78-year-old comedian appeared in court, facing a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. >> reopening this case was our duty. >> reporter: prosecutors saying cosby sexually assaulted andrea constand in 2004, after giving her pills and alcohol at his suburban philadelphia home. now, cosby's attorney making the media rounds, vowing to fight what she calls an unjustified charge. >> i have faith in the justice system. >> reporter: and some of cosby's other accusers, also reacting to

>> i just started to cry. i think they were tears of relief, tears of joy and tears of validation. >> reporter: more than 50 women have come forward, claiming cosby sexually assaulted, drugged or raped them, which he has consistently denied. his wife of 50 years, camille, always standing by his side. now, she may be the next one in the hot seat. though she launched a legal battle to prevent being forced to speak about her husband in a related civil case next week, abc news has learned that request has been denied. now, as for that criminal charge, cosby, who is reportedly worth approximately $400 million, is free on $1 million bail. he faces ten years in prison if convicted of that charge. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. and last night, bill cosby did tweet, and it was this simple five-word message. he said friends and fans, thank you. difficult year ahead for

coming up, bidding farewell to one of the most contention years in politics. >> among the bottom shells, 2015 saw one of the widest fields of you're watching "world news >> announcer: "worlws now" continuous after this from our abc stations. today, 1 out of every 4 american kids is hispanic. that means many of the future doctors who will care for us, the engineers who will build our cities, the scientists and entrepreneurs of our country can be your kids. we all know how hard it is for you

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i want to wake up >> reflecting on 2015, it certainly was one of the most active years in politics it seems. >> absolutely. from one of the widest fields of presidential candidates slinging some of the most decisive rhetoric to a sitting pope stepping into the fray. books. here's abc's karen tra vers. >> getting in the groove here. >> reporter: it's been an unconventional year in politics. surprises. surges. and one bombshell see you later. it's crowded out there on the republican presidential trail. so many candidates, they're doubling up on debates. the main stage and what some called the kids' table. but the gop race has been dominated by one man. >> i am officially running for president of the united states. >> reporter: donald trump launched his campaign with his signature bravado and

>> our leaders are student. >> reporter:hought the trump balloon would burst but he's not only held on to his commanding lead, he's increased it despite many controversial statementsing about mexican immigrants. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. >> reporter: and muslims. >> for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: his comments have brought harsh criticism from democrats and republicans. his supporters say finally a candidate who tells it like it is. ben carson had a brief jump in the polls before fading. now ted cruz is riding a strong surge into the new year. on the democratic side, hillary clinton holds wide leads nationally. but some voters are feeling the burn. vermont senator bernie sanders giving the for secretary of state a run for her money. some polls showing him ahead in the key early state of new hampshire. the controversy over clinton's

on the trail for some time. earlier this fall sheed to put it to bed. >> that was a mistake. i'm sorry about that. i take responsibility. >> reporter: that iss sparked perhaps the only real fireworks in the democratic debates. >> the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails. >> thank you. >> reporter: the highlight on capitol hill this year came in september when pope francis delivered a historic address to congress. that visit was orchestrated by house speaker john boehner who just one day later dropped a bombshell on washington announcing he was resigning. >> i woke up and i said my prayers as i always do, and i decided, you know, today's the day i'm going to do this. >> reporter: that launched a mad scramble among house republicans. conservatives threw their weight around rejecting candidates to replace boehner. when the bust settled, it was paul ryan who emerged as his party's best option to lead a

and while it feels like the presidential campaign has been going on forever, there's still several weeks to go before voters finally get to have their say. karen travers, abc news, washington. and, of course, it's only going to get hotter with the iowa caucuses in february, new hampshire coming up. so big year ahead, of course. >> absolutely. if you thought you saw the last of donald trump, huh-uh, 2016 will be him versus it seems like the rest of the field not only the republicans, he's been taking on hillary lately but the one thing i'm looking forward to is more snl skits, the best part of the election year in my opinion. >> yeah, great, great point. >> the coming up, buckling down on those new years resolutions. >> and the most popular new ars resolution is to lose weight.

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let's get physical, physical, i want to get physical let's get into the physical let me hear your body talk >> love that song. >> that's a good video. >> finally this half hour, that new year's resolution to get fit and lose weight. >> yes, you know that one. every year, there's never a shortage of a slew really of new diet fads. this morning we're checking out how some of the biggest stars manage to stay in shape. here is abc's aditi roy. >> reporter: looking to get toned like taraji? like khloe and carrie, bend like jen? now you can as the stars dish on everything from their diet secrets to fitness routines in the latest issue of "us weekly." >> every year, of course, after the holidays getting into the

get their do is and exercise routine into high gear. all of these stars each of them have fun little tips that anyone can pick up at home. >> for gabrielle union, balance is the name of the game. >> balance yourself. if you want the doughnut, have the doughnut. i needed apple cake so i eta it. >> top tips? >> lpt all sugary drinks. are lean meat, sleep and regulating your schedule. i try to get to bed early. >> reporter: no cookies for this cookie. "empire" actress ta raj jill p. henson dropped two sizes in a year thanks to daily two-hour workouts focusing on jogging, squats and her core. the actress revealing i tell myself just show up and your body will change. >> reporter: white hot j.lo loves her greens. i eat asparagus, brussells sprouts, kale everything you can

>> she told us she feels better than in her 20s. >> reporter: aditi roy, abc news, san francisco. i like what ga bri yell union said, it's all about balance. you got to have the berger if you want the burger. >> so many people saying no more drinking after tonight. no moreburgers after tonight. look at that. >> and you want to pump some iron like that, phillip. >> see how swoll i am? because i did so much. that's why. >> okay. all right. >> we'll see you. >> announcer: this is abc's

insomniacs for two decades. this morning on "world news now," celebrations and terror tensions. >> from a suspected terrorist

a threat on a big city in germany. to unprecedented security in times square. the mix feelings as the world welcomes 2016. >> up in flames. the fire in a high-rise hot the injuries, evacuations and investigation. >> holiday misery. the mississippi river at record levels. the deadly and rare wintertime flooding. the property damage and the relief in the forecast. and later, airline hero. the pilot who didn't have to turn the entire plane around because he saw upset passengers in the terminal who missed his flight, but he did make a u-turn and he really saved the day. it's friday, january 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning on this new year's day. i'm lauren lifter. >> i'm phillip mena. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. >> we spent there new year's

>> we have the party favors to prove it. we should ring in the new year with 2016. >> did not stop celebrations and it won't stop the celebrations us being here at work. >> let's keep it going. i'm sure there are plenty of people that had a wonderful new year still wanting to enjoy a little fun and some news. >> if you just came home from partying, happy new year everyone. down in times square, we could hear the fireworks going off when it hit midnight. >> you have good ears. could you really? >> absolutely, up in the office there. >> i was watching the tv. >> thankfully everything went off without a hitch. we begin with the tensions and us precedented security. >> more than a million revellers watched the brawl drop right there. many waited hours unable to leave because of the security not even able to go to the bathroom. there were 6,000 police officers including members of a special counter-terrorism unit. >> and there were no public celebrations in rochester, new york, the state's third biggest city.

canceled after an allege add isis sympathizer was arrested. of he planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar armed with knives and machete. he hoped the assault would help him join isil overseas. >> in munich, germany, police warned of a serious attack. they've been tipped off to five to seven suicide bombers. with the main train station and another the primary targets. despite the war, thousands rang in the new year with fireworks in munich's downtown. >> november's attacks did not keep parisians from celebrating in public. there too the public fireworks display was canceled replaced by a performance at the arc detory om just before midnight. the terror attacks left 130 people dead. >> new year's eve celebrations went on as scheduled in dubai

of the top hotels. it was a frightening scene as flames shot out of the skyscraper. abc's alex mar adequate has the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in video shot by eyewitnesses. it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its famous new year's fireworks show, starting nearby at the world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the ahead, and shortly after the clock struck midnight, fireworks

a surreal scene with the hotel still burning in the background. there has been no mention of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the new year is a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. she was returned to the u.s. from mexico yesterday. her attorney says couch did not violate any texas laws when he she left the state with her son. she faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon and could be in jail for several days. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes. what would you do if you're a parent who has the son who is the most hated boy in america? >> ethan couch remains in a mexican jail while he waits for a hearing whether he will be forced to return to the u.s. a legal process that could go on for weeks or even months. the mississippi river and its tributaries are at or near

missouri and illinois even as the flooding in the st. louis area begins to recede. most of the fate at that times have been motorists and hundreds ef highways and roads are still closed. abc's indra petersons reports from the flood zone. >> floodwaters paralyzing parts of the midwest. as rivers crest and records fall, residents race to sandbag homes, hoping they'll be spared. >> we just need a lot of help. >> reporter: pets stranded where water's already rushed in, being rescued, too. this was the scene on interstate 55 before officials where is finally forced to close it. traffic backed up for miles. these photos showing how quickly the flood waters rose in valley park. we rode along with the u.s. geological survey. they are using doppler radar to monitor the rising mississippi. >> all the rivers that feed this area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the missouri, are all coming to where their flood crests are right here today. and so, that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: this time of year, this stretch of the mississippi

now it's 42 feet. to put it all in perspective, there's about ten times the amount of water flowing here right underneath the e ads bridge than you typically see this video shows how powerful that can be. watch this house smash into a bridge. at least 22 deaths in missouri and illinois now being blamed on the flooding. at least four still missing, including two teenage boys in taylorville, illinois. indra petersonss, abc news, sunset hills, missouri. in today's forecast, chilly again in the flood zone. lows could be in the single digits in some areas of the midwest. snow from wisconsin to upstate new york. heavy rain everyone new orleans to jacksonville. it is going to be cooler though in the mid-atlantic. >> and 19 in salt lake city. 20s in minneapolis and detroit. 30s in denver and kansas city. 40s and 50s in dallas, atlanta and new york. down right balmy. all right. now it's time for some college football. are you a football fan.

>> i'll hand it over to you in a minute. let's hope today's five bowl games are better than the two playoff games we had yesterday. >> yeah, they were a bit of blowouts. we start with the number one team, clemson, the tigers trailed oklahoma by a point at halftime before taking the lead with that short touch down run. keyshawn watson struck with a 35-yard touchdown pass and another td in the fourth quarter putting the sooners away for good. clemson moves onto the national tle game with a resounding 37-17 win. and then it was alabama and michigan state's turn. let's sum it up by saying the crimson tide absolutely dominated the spartans last night. we'd love to show you a michigan state touch down or a field dole or safety or something but there weren't any. >> alabama quarterback jake coker threw two touchdowns. derek henry ran for two more. it came to an end. alabama impressive in a 38-0

for the national title on monday, january 11th. >> and in pasadena, people are focusing on a tradition i'm more a fan of. and that is the parade and then the big games. spectators began lining up on the five-mile parade route nearly 24 hours before the parade. they seemed unfazed by the cool temperatures and unfazed by potential security issues. >> the security this year is unprecedented with the fbi and homeland security assisting. some 44 floats are part of the spectacle. it took volunteers about 80,000 hours to put those floats together. the theme of this year's parade is "find your adventure." >> of course, those floats are so cool because they're made out of flowers and plants. what i found unbelievable, i even had to double-check with one of our producers is that by one estimate, the floats each cost $100,000 to $150,000. they are six figure floats for that one day, that one parade, phillip. >> well, that's why people like it so much because it's so well thought out.

the best things to do on new year's. that's a hangover cure is to sit there, wat the parade and watch the rose bowl games all new year's day. there's college football all day long. what else are you going to do? sit on your couch? coming up in the mix, university researchers banning overused year. which ones would you ban. >> i'm going to think about it. also ahead, the airline pilot who spotted emotional passengers in the terminal who had missed his flight. his unprecedented decision to make a u-turn. >> later the sights and sounds of 2015 from scandals to disbelief. >> and what will you remember from 2015? join the conversation on our facebook page. wnnfans.com and on twitter. we're @abcwnn. so go ahead, break the internet. you're watching "world news now." you may think you can put off checking out your

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you are looking at the largest cargo ship ever to visit the united states called the benjamin franklin launched from a chinese shipyard last month. and it arrived at the port of oakland, california, yesterday. this thing is a quarter mile long, longer than four football fields or even the empire state building laid on its side. deliveries from china to the >> wow. >> if you can believe it. there. another rare sight yesterday involving a giant vehicle played out at the minneapolis st. paul international airport. >> the pilot of a delta air lines flight made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac. isn't that unbelievable? he returned to the gate. wait till you hear why he did it. here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was >> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and time to catch their connection

the plane pushed back without them. >> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and my mom were sitting there in tears and i'm sitting there screaming through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw the family. he radioed in and found out they were upset, because, for them, missing the flight meant missing their father's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: that captain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphis in time to say good-bye. >> it's very rare, someone stops and does something so kind and we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. they would not have made it. that was the last flight of the day. >> incredible. >> kudos to delta for that.

>> but before we say good-bye to 2015, we're going to take a look back at some of the year's biggest events to make the headlines. what do you think was the biggest story of the year? you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. there are 16 million children struggling with hunger in america. that's 1 in 5 daughters, sons, neighbors, and classmates who don't know where their next meal is coming from. yet billions of pounds of good food go to waste every year. it's time we do something about it. feeding america is a nationwide network of food banks that helps provide meals to millions of kids and families in need. visit feedingamerica.org to help them feed even more. together we can solve hunger.

aa^ab >> this is our favorite. because as millions of americans -- oh, look. as millions of americans do what we just did, ring in 2016, we here at "world news now" would like to take a few moments to ring out 2015. >> what a year it has been for news. we've seen everything from natural disasters to terror attacks and from racial unrest to one of the most divisive

>> a 7.8 earthquake centered in nepal. >> this team has brought this young man out of this building. and he is alive. >> epitome of chaos hit mt. everest. >> the airbus crashed in the french alps. >> that young co-pilot had every intention to destroy that plane. >> proof that mh-370 crashed into the indian ocean. >> prince george is now a big brother. growing outrage after a beloved lion was killed by an american dentist. >> mexico's most notorious drug man. >> kayla mueller now confirmed dead. >> she touched the heart of the world. >> an attack on a train foiled by quick thinking american passengers. >> the plane with more than 200 egypt. >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war. >> the people are coming quicker

>> anger, frustration. >> and chaos. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six separate locations. at least 129 killed. >> if i live in fear, they won't. >> the suspects are now cornered. >> abdel amin abboud is dead. the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> several down in the conference room. >> farouq and tashfeen ma mick had made their plans to attack well in advance. >> there's been a mass shooting in southern oregon. >> this has become routine. >> and gunfire ripping through there louisiana movie theater. >> a gunman opened fire. >> police exchanging gunfire with a man inside this colorado springs planned parenthood. >> tragedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> dylann roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate. we have to forgive. >> a historic moment set in motion by the killings. thousands gathered in selma to remember that day in 1965. >> it's become a very important

>> reporter: an ugly scene in baltimore. still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> sandra bland's death in a jail is sparking outrage. >> michael slager fires eight times at walter scott. >> he was my son. >> be on the lookout for two escapees from clinton county could be correctional facility facility. >> the massive manhunt finally over. >> an amtrak train derailed in philadelphia. >> going more than 100 miles per hour. >> the death penalty for dzhokhar tsarnaev. >> he wanted to go to hell and he's going to get there early. >> i? the defendant to the life imprisonment. >> james holmes received 12 consecutive life sentences. >> more than 25,000 firefighters battling 65 firefighters. >> this is a disaster. >> this pristine shoreline now an oily mess. >> liquid water has been found on mars. >> the pope touching down. >> the land of the free.

see the pope. >> a happened shake five decades in the making. > former house speaker dennis hastert. >> guilty to a felony banking charge. >> i have been racking my brain what more could have been done. >> an 11-hour hearing about the 2012 attacks on a diplomatic post. >> another big victory for president obama's health care law. >> same-sex marriage now the law of the land. that does not mean everyone is on board. >> by whose authority? >> god's authority. >> the united states has reached historic understandinging with iran. >> what a stunning historic mistake. >> the u.s. is sending special operations forces to syria. >> this isn't a pipeline. it's a lifeline. keystone xl pipeline would not serve the national interests. >> it was the interview heard round the world. >> for all intents and purposes, i am a woman. >> the longest-running late night show host ever taking the stage one last time.

>> the force has awakened. >> oed. >> for a highly anticipated film. >> it was just manual cal. -- magical. >> all right. as we said good-bye to 2015 and hello to 2016, you know where the tradition comes from to celebrate with friends and family? it's because that's supposed to be a harbinger of luck. so if you see enemies that's bad luck. i don't know what the -- >> i'm glad i got to be with good people. >> amazing viewers, great fans of this show. very happy about that. that bodes well for the year. fake confetti definitely bodes well. >> we got off to a good start and so did you. coming up the year's most overused phrases and words.

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our language. people trying to get rid of them at the university, lake superior state university, they have released this list. so. >> bit of an annual tradition. >> so is the first one. >> did you plan that. >> so is the first one. join the conversation is another overused and now banished word according to them and break the internet. those three. the thing is, these are very valuable contributions to modern vocabulary. lou would we do away with any of them? what would kim kardashian do without breaking the internet? >> i could not get through so. >> quickly before we go, some million people were in times square 0 ring in the new year. one thing you may not think about, all of the trash. how much trash do you think they have to clean up? what would you guess, phillip. >> you know the answer? >> it's a whole bunch. >> it's a whole bunch.

all the confetti, all the food, ought revelers literally leaving behind tons of trash. >> good work. now it's polka time. >> broadway's lyric theater with cast members of on the town the weather all the scores that's the world news polka >> if you're an insomniac and a good night's sleep you lack, the it's late at night you're wide pants so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance hey have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal, do the world news polka.

beneath the trees because with global warming it's a cool million degrees five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in check that's the world news polka i hear they watch us in the swamp and think that we're all right well, it sure beats croaking in the middle of the night five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek and the world news polka one more time do the worldious polka.

everybody. this morning on "world news now," celebrations and terror tensions. >> from a suspected terrorist

a threat on a big city in germany. to unprecedented security in times square. the feelings as the world welcomes 2016. up in flames. the five in a high-rise hotel, fire and sploek from the building. the injuries, evacuations and investigation. holiday misery. the mississippi river at record levels. the deadly and rare wintertime ooding. the property damage and the relief in the forecast. and later, airline hero. pilot who didn't have to turn the entire plane around because he saw upset passengers in the terminal who policed his flight but did he make a u-turn and he really saved the day. it's friday, january 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning on then new year's day, i'm lauren lyster. >> i'm phillip mena. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. >> we spent this new year's hanging out here at work.

we have the party favors to problem it. we should ring in the new year with 2016. >> did not stop the celebrations and it won't stop the celebrations us being here at work. >> let's keep it going. i'm sure there are plenty of people that had a wonderful new year still wanting to enjoy fun and some news. >> if you just came home from partying, happy new year. down in times square we could hear the fireworks going on. and thankfully. >> could you really? >> absolutely. up in the office there. >> i was watching the tv, watching the countdown. >> thankfully everything went off without a hitch. we begin with the new year's celebrations worldwide. the tensions and the unprecedented security. >> more than a million revellers watched the ball drop in times square right there. many waited hours unable to leave because of the security. not even to go to the bathroom. there were also 6,000 police officers including members of a special counter-terrorism unit. >> and there were no public celebrations in rochester, new york.

the fireworks were canceled after an allege add isis thinkizer was arrested. investigators say he planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar armed with knives and ma cheat at the. police say he hoped the assault would convince isis to join the group overseas. >> in germany, police warned of a serious imminent attack. they've been tipped off to five to seven suicide bombers with munich's main train station and another the primary targets. despite the warnings, thousands of people did ring in the new year with fire works in munich's downtown. >> november's attacks did not keep parisians from celebrating the holiday. police surrounded the major landmarks in paris to watch out for trouble after november's terror attacks that left 130 people dead. new year's eve celebrations went on as scheduled in dubai despite a fire that engulfed one

it was a frightening scene as flames shot out of the skyscraper. abc's alex marquardt as the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in video shot by eyewitnesses. it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its famous new year's fireworks show, starting nearby at the world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the new year's celebration would go ahead, and shortly after the clock struck midnight, fireworks

a surreal scene with the hotel still burning in the background. there has been no mention of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the new year in a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. couch was returned to the u.s. from mexico yesterday. her attorney says couch did not violate any texas laws when he she left the state with her son. she faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon and could be in jail for several days. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes. what would do if you're a parent who has a son who is the most hated boy in america? >> ethan couch remains in a mexican jail while he waits for a hearing on whether he will be forced to return to the u.s. a legal process that could go on for weeks or even months. the mississippi river and itstory beautitories are at or

missouri and illinois even as the flooding in the st. louis area does begin to recede. most of the fatalities have been motor haddists and hundreds of highways and roads are still closed. abc's indra petersons reports from the flood zone. >> reporter: floodwaters paralyzing parts of the midwest, as rivers crest and records fall, residents race to sandbag homes, hoping they'll be spared. >> we just need a lot of help. >> reporter: pets stranded where water's already rushed in, being rescued, too. this was the scene on interstate 585 before officials traffic backed up for miles. these photos showing how quickly the flood waters rose in valley park. we rode along with the u.s. geological survey. they are using doppler radar to monitor the rising mississippi. area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the where their flood crests are and so, that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: this time of year, this stretch of the mississippi

now it's 42 feet. to put it all in perspective, there's about ten times the amount of water flowing here right underneath the e ads bridge than you typically see flowing over niagara falls. this video from fenton, missouri, shows how powerful that can be. watch this house smash into a bridge. at least 22 deaths in missouri and illinois now being blamed on the flooding. at least four still missing, including two teenage boys in taylorville, illinois. indra petersonss, abc news, sunset hills, missouri. in today's forecast, chilly again in the flood zone. lows could be in the single digits in some areas of the midwest. snow from wisconsin to upstate new york. heavy rain from new orleans to jacksonville. it is going to be cooler though in the mid-atlantic. >> and 19 in salt lake city. 20s in minneapolis and detroit. 307s in denver and kansas city. 40s and 50s in dallas, atlanta and new york. down right balmy. now it's time for college football. are you a football fan.

>> i'll hand it over to you in a minute. let's hope today's five bowl games are better or at least mo competitive than the two playoff games we had yesterday. >> we start with the nation's number one team, clemson. the tigers trailed oklahoma by a point at halftime before taking the lead with that short touch down run. deshaun watson you can have with a 35-yard touchdown pass down the seam and another td in the fourth quarter put the sooners away for good. clemson movese national title game with a resounding 37-17 win. then it was alabama and michigan state's turn and let's sum it up by saying the crimson tide absolutely dominated the spartan spartans last night. wa we'd love to show you a michigan state touchdown or a field goal or safety or something but there weren't any. alabama ma quarterback jake kocher coker threw two touch downs. heisman winner derek henry ran for two more. mercifully it did come to an

victory and now take on clemson for the national title monday january 11th. from pasadena people are focusing on a tradition i'm more of a fan of. that is the parade and then the big game. spectators begin lining up on the five-mile parade route nearly 24 hours before the parade. they seem unfazed by the cool temperatures and potential security issues. >> the security this year is unprecedented with the fbi and homeland security assisting. some 44 floats are part of the spectacle. it took volunteers about 80,000 hours to put those floats together. the theme of this year's parade is "find your adventure." >> of course those throats are so cool because they're made out of flowers and plants. what i found unbelievable, i even had to double-check with one of our producers by one estimate, the floats each cost $100,000 to $150,000. they are six-figure floats for that one day. that one parade, phillip. >> well, that's why people like it so much because it's so well thought out. you know what?

to do on new year's. that's a hangover cure right there to sit there and watch the rose bowl, watch the parade and watch the rose bowl games. long. what else are you going to do? sit on your couch? coming up "the mix," university researchers banning overused year. which ones would you ban? >> i'm going to think about it. also ahead, the airline pilot who spotted emotional passengers in the terminal who had missed his flight. his unprecedented decision to make a u-turn. >> the sights and sounds of 2015. >> and what you remember from 2015? join the conversation on our facebook page, wnnfans.com and on twitter we're @abcwnf. so go ahead, break the internet.

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you are looking at the largest cargo ship ever to visit the united states called the benjamin franklin launched from a chinese shipyard last month. and it arrived at the port of oakland, california, yesterday. this thing is a quarter mile long, longer than four football fields or even the empire state building laid on its side. it's going to make regular deliveries from china to the u.s. west coast. >> wow. >> if you can believe it. >> just made the clearance there. another rare sight yesterday involving a giant vehicle played out at the minneapolis st. paul international airport. >> the pilot of a delta air lines flight made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac. isn't that unbelievable? he returned to the gate. but just wait until you hear why he did it. here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was about to miss it. >> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and time to catch their connection to memphis ran out.

them. >> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and my mom were sitting there in tears and i'm sitting there screaming through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw the family. he radioed in and found out they were upset, because, for them, missing the flight meant missing their father's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: that captain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphis in time to say good-bye. >> it's very rare, someone stops and does something so kind and we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. they would not have made it. that was the last flight of the day. >> incredible. >> kudos to delta for that. >> next, out with the old and in

2015, we're going to take a look back at some of the year's biggest events to make the headlines. what do you think was the biggest story of the year? you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our next! you want mustard on that or not! come on, come on. i haven't got all day here! it doesn't come with peppers! they're extra! hurry up.pay the lady! next! the chicken's fresh. i killed it myself. so that's what you want? next! while we're still young! you know you told me you wanted mustard. get outta here! time's up! back of the line! hey. excuse me. what! great sandwich. thanks. you didn't have to be so nice get outta here.

>> this is our favorite. because as millions of americans -- oh, look. everyone's in on it. as millions of americans do what we just did, ring in 2016, we here at "world news now" would like to take a few moments to ring out 2015. >> what a year it has been for news. we've seen everything from natural disasters to terror attacks and from racial unrest to one of the most divisive presidential races in recent memory.

nepal. >> the death toll now surging. >> this team has brought this young man out of this building. and he is alive. >> epitome of chaos hit mt. everest. >> the airbus a-320 crashed in the french alps. >> that young co-pilot had every intention to destroy that plane. >> tangible proof that mh-370 crashed into the indian ocean. >> prince george is now a big brother. growing outrage after a beloved lion was killed by an american dentist. >> mexico's most notorious drug deer is now also its most wanted man. >> kayla mueller held by isis now confirmed dead. >> she touched the heart of the world. >> an attack on a train foiled by quick thinking american passengers. >> he said let's go. >> the plane with more than 200 people on board went down in egypt. >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff meeting at the "charlie hebdo" offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war. >> the people are coming quicker than we can load them.

>> and chaos. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six separate locations. at least 129 killed. >> if i live in fear, they won't. >> the suspects are now cornered. >> abdel amin abboud is dead. the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> several down in the conference room. >> farouq and tashfeen malik had made their plans to attack well in advance. >> there's been a mass shooting in a community college in southern oregon. >> somehow, this has become routine. >> gunfire ripping through this louisiana movie theater. >> a gunman opened fire. >> police exchanging gunfire with a man inside this colorado springs planned parenthood. >> horrific tragedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> dylann roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate. we have to forgive. >> a historic moment set in motion by the killings. thousands gathered in selma to remember that day in 1965. >> it's become a very important day in my life.

baltimore. still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> sandra bland's death in a texas jail is sparking outrage. >> police officer michael slager fires eight times at walter scott. >> he was my son. >> be on the lookout for two escapees from clinton county correctional facility. >> many comparing it to the plot of shawshank redemption. >> the massive manhunt finally over. >> an amtrak train derailed in philadelphia. >> going more than 100 miles per hour. >> the death penalty for dzhokhar tsarnaev. >> he wanted to go to hell and he's going to get there early. >> i sentence the defendant to >> james holmes received 12 consecutive life sentences. >> the record broken. boston buried under snow. >> more than 25,000 firefighters battling 65 firefighters. >> this is a disaster. >> this pristine shoreline now >> it's the biggest of break through yet. >> liquid water has been found on mars. >> the pope touching down. >> the land of the free. >> i would have gone anywhere to

>> pray for me. >> i will. >> a handshake five decades in the making. > former house speaker dennis hastert. >> guilty to a felony banking charge. >> i have been racking my brain about what more could have been done. >> an 11-hour hearing about the 2012 attacks on a diplomatic post. >> another big victory for president obama's health care law. >> same-sex marriage now the law of the land. that does not mean everyone is on board. >> by whose authority? >> god's authority. >> the united states has reached a historic understanding with iran. >> what a stunning historic mistake. >> the u.s. is sending special operations forces to syria. >> this isn't a pipeline. it's a lifeline. the keystone xl pipeline would not be the national interests. >> it was the interview heard round the world. >> for all intents and purposes, i am a woman. >> the longest-running late night show host ever taking the stage one last time. >> jon stewart signing off for the last time.

>> for a highly anticipated film. >> it was just magical. >> all right. as we said good-bye to 2015 and hello to 2016, you know where the tradition comes from to celebrate with friends and family? it's because that's supposed to be a harbinger of luck. so if you see enemies or that kind of thing, that's bad luck. i don't know what the -- >> i'm glad i got to be with good people. >> amazing viewers, great fans of this show. very happy about that. that bodes well for the year. fake confetti definitely bodes well. >> we got off to a good start and so did you. coming up the year's most overused phrases and words. >> and the year's monumental

polka are next. the leading cough liquid only provides relief for four hours, but did you know there's a product that lasts for twelve hours? try delsym twelve hour cough liquid. its advanced formula works by immediatelyeasing powerful medicine that acts fast while its extended release medicine lasts for 12 hours. in fact, delsym lasts three times longer than the leading cough liquid. for all day or all night relief, try delsym -the #1 doctor recommended 12 hour cough liquid. this has been medifacts for delsym . it is time for "the mix," and there are some overused

people trying to get rid of them at the university, lake superior state university, they have released this list. so -- >> bit of an annual tradition. >> actually, so is the first one. >> did you plan that? >> so is the first one. join the conversation is another overused and now banished word according to them, and break the internet. those three. the thing is, these are very valuable contributions to modern vocabulary. i think. how would we do away with any of them? what would kim kardashian do without breaking the internet? >> there you go. i could not get through telling you that without saying so. >> quickly before we go, some million people were in times square to ring in the new year. one thing you may not think about, all of the trash. how much trash do you think they have to clean up? what would you guess, phillip? you know the awer. >> it's a whole bunch. >> it's a whole bunch. in one square mile, 50 to 52

all the confetti, all the food, all those revellers literally leaving behind tons of trash. >> good work. now it's polka time. >> broadway's lyric theater with cast members of "on the town" politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores >> take it siri. that's the world news polka >> if you're an insomniac and a good night's sleep you lack, the world news polka it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance hey have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal, do the world news polka. with spf 1000 you can lounge beneath the trees because with

million degrees five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek that's the world news polka i hear they watch us in the swamp and think that we're all right well, it sure beats croaking in the middle of the night yeah. five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek and the world news polka one more time. do the world news polka

everybody. this morning on "world news now," tense celebration from unprecedented security in new

u.s. and in europe. the new year is welcomed in with an uneasy feeling. > frightening fire. flames and smoke shooting out of a 66-story hotel on new year's eve. the injuries, evacuations and the decision to continue holiday fire borks not far away. new this half hour, 2016 election year is officially here. >> and as we look back at the past year in politics, we look ahead at the campaigns, the power plays and who is fighting to win this year's elections. >> and later, looking fit and glamorous in the new year. you can look like a real star if you know the right diet and workout routine. some expert advice on this friday, january 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning and happy new year, everyone. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm lauren lyster. i'm really enjoying celebrating the new year here with all these great party favors.

>> let's see how long we can get away before they tell us to take things off. >> you guys should tweet us your new year's get upups because we've got ours. we certainly do. with that we should get right to our top story and probably this is a little too light for it. a tense but so far uneventful new year's around the world. despite terror warnings people did turn out not letting threats ruin their situations. >> that's right. just hours ago at times square in new york was packed with a million revelers and 6,000 police officers. the live pictures here much different scene than last night. >>two, one. happy new year! >> it's finally2016. and people around the world are ringing in the new year with those three familiar words. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. >> from a jam packed times square in new york all the way

crowds cheered as colorful fireworks displays painted the night sky. new zealand was the first to ring in the new year with australia nipping at its heels lighting up the famous sydney harbor, celebrations from hong kong to tokyo illuminating the night sky. one show in particular left the world watching in a different kind of awe. in dubai, even with a hotel fire raging nearby, the world's tallest building, the burj khalifa fitted with 400,000led lights and 1.6 tons of fireworks carried on their display as scheduled. all across the globe, millions crowded hick landmarks just to get a glimpse of the fire works. cities around the world are in a heightened state of alert. paris canceling some events still recuperating from the horror of november's terrorist attack. and somber scenes in brussels where festivities were also canceled amid security fears

those fears nearly realized here at home. in rochester, new york, federal officials arrested a man believed to be planning a terrorist attack leading to the cancellation of the city's fireworks display. and that be alleged isis sympathizer planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar in new york state's third largest city. the man allegedly hoped the assault in rochester would convince isis to let him june the terror group overseas. he told an informant he had no problem with killing people. in germany, police evacuated two munich train stations hours before midnight after receiving tips from another country of a credible threat. it was believed five to seven suicide bombers were planning an attack. thankfully nothing happened and the two stations are now open again. now to that fire in dubai. it did not impact the city's new year's eve celebrations. what's billed as the world's largest fireworks display went on as usual. it looks fabulous there. at the hotel where the fire

describing a horrifying scene with no emergency precautions in place. >> no sprinklers, there's no fire alarm. and the escape route was crap. >> hundreds of people were evacuated and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured. there does not appear to be any link to terrorism. alsz mom tonya couch is spending the new year in a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. her attorney says couch has not broken any texas loss and she looks forward to her day in court, but in mexico ethan couch remains in custody. here's abc's matt gutman. >> after racing south of the border, the couches now in legal limbo. tonya couch being held in isolation in the l.a. county jail charged with hindering the apprehension of her 1-year-old son eeth. the mom's bail set at $1 million.

ignoring reporters' questions. her attorney saying she's innocent and -- >> what she did was note anything to help herself. she did this, it appears to protect her son. >> reporter: itf convicted she faces unto ten years in prison to help her son. >> where is he going to go? we're going to get him at one point or another. >> we watched as he was taken wednesday. turns out he was taken to another detention center in mexico city. his third city since his arrest monday in the resort town of port tote vallarta. that the couches checked into this resort saying investigators opting for this lower end apartment and a lower profile on christmas eve. tonya even buying in this local butcher. tonya couch is likely to be extradited from this jail to texas sometime next week. her son ethan could be stuck in that mexico city facility for weeks sharing a room with four

matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. there's much more about the ethan couch case tonight on a special edition of abc news 20/20" end of the road at 10:00 eastern. in chicago, protesters returned to mayor rahm emanuel's home demanding his resignation. students from northern illinois marched in memory of 19-year-old quintonioio legrier, their classmate fatally shot by a police officer on saturday. >> city officials finally released thousands of e-mails relateded to the shooting of laquan mcdonald revealing a coordinated response from the mayor's office and others to the shootings. president obama is expected to take executive action next week against gun violence. one measure could expand background checks on gun sales. the white house may also impose tighter rules for reporting guns that get lost or stolen on their way to a buyer. gun rights advocates are promising to challenge any action the president takes. the state department says that is portions of 275 e-mails released yesterday from hillary

state have been newly classified. clinton has said she didn't send or receive information that was classified at the time from her personal e-mail account. the state department says it fell short of the number of e-mails it was ordered to release by a federal judge. floodwaters are making it difficult to get around the central midwest. although interstate 55 reopened near st. louis, other highways are closed because of flooding. >> many homes are underwater. abc's elizabeth hur is in the middle of the flood zone. good morning. >> reporter: phillip and lauren, good morning to you. the mayoreramec river behind me has crested and finally receding. but so many businesses in this are still underwater. rivers reaching record levels in missouri. the mayor mack river crested in valley park early thursday about four feet bob the previous record. the mississippi river now on

arch in downtown st. louis some 21 feet above flood stage. all the rivers that feed this area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the missouri are all coming with their flood crests right here today. so that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: the overflowing rivers already flooded hundreds of roems and hundreds of residents were evacuated. authorities are still warning water. the swollen merrimack now being blamed for breaching another wastewater treatment plant in st. louis county pouring raw sewage into the river. so far, nine levees have been toppled, nearly a dozen more threatened. and missouri not the only flooded state from illinois to north carolina. >> it was running hard and coming up fast. >> reporter: their rare winter flooding is also wreaking havoc. >> it's really mind boggling. to see it coming by with the strength it has and to imagine what it can do to our

>> reporter: right now in some communities there is a boil water advisory in effect. here in st. louis county, authorities say the water is safe to drink for now but they are monitoring the situation around the clock. phillip and lauren? >> elizabeth, thank you. in the flood zone, chilly temperatures again. some parts of the midwest could ceelos this morning in the single digits. downpours from the gulf coast to jacksonville. snow in the upper great lakes from wisconsin to upstate new york, mild and dry in the west. >> 60s in los angeles and phoenix. 40s in seattle, dallas and boston. 30s in denver and great falls, and 20s in chicago and detroit. hawaii is ringing in 2016 with a tobacco crackdown. they're raising the legal smoking age to 21. it is the first state in the nation to take such action. the new law also includes electronic cigarettes. stores violating the law could be fined as much as $2,000.

fined as much as $50. investors are hoping for a better year in 2016. stocks closed lower yesterday capping the worst year for the market since 2008. the dow jones also closed with a loss. the nasdaq did a bit better gaining for the year. several factors contributed to the decline including worries about interest rates. 2015 was also a bad year for warren buffett. the oracle of omaha lost $11.3 billion. shares of his company berkshire hathaway slid 11% but don't feel too bad. he's still the world's third richest man with a personal fortune estimated at $63 billion. and you may be feeling a little richer this morning after a year of low gasoline prices. 2015 ended with the national average priced at exactly $2. aaa estimates each licensed driver saved an average of almost 600 bucks over the past year. and the outlook for 2016 is good.

all right. the new year was welcomed to key west florida not by flashing ball drops or tremendous amounts of confetti. >> it was a parade of dachshunds. look at them there. they're so cute. they wore costumes, part of the island city'sbrasion to ring in the new year. the wiener wonderland so to speak featured more than 160 dachshunds and their human owners presumably. >> the canine costumes, they ran the gamut from sea creatures to a unicorn and, of course, "star wars" characters. there was no cost to participate in the key west dachshund walk but donations of dog and cat food werer requested for the community pet food pantry. >> oh, my gosh, there's the unicorn. very cute. >> coming up, welcoming the new year by looking back at unforgettable year in politics. >> also ahead, getting as fit as a glamorous celebrity in 2016. the workout and diet plan getting attention in hollywood.

wife could be put in a legal hot seat in his sex abuse scandal. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now"

abc stations. today, 1 out of every 4 american kids is hispanic. that means many of the future doctors who will care for us, the engineers who will build our cicies, the scientists and entrepreneurs of our country can be your kids.

to send them to college. this is why we want you to know you are not alone, and every day, more people support you to make it happen. many support you, and the hispanic scholarship fund helps you prepare, plan, and pay for your kids' college education. learn more at hsf.net. tt2w`t3n@24" bt@qc., tt2w`t3n@24" "a@qs"h tt2w`t3n@24" bm@qx)d tt4w`t3n@24"" dztq k6$ tt4w`t3n@24"" entq ;2d tt4w`t3n@24"" gzt& "5< tt4w`t3n@24"" hnt& 2;p tt4w`t3n@24"" iztq xr( tt4w`t3n@24"" jntq j"h tt4w`t3n@24"" lzt& ro4 >> i have faith in the justice system.

criminal charge. i think they were tears of relief, tears of joy and tears of validation. >> reporter: more than 50 women have come forward, claiming cosby sexually assaulted, drugged or raped them, which he has consistently denied. his wife of 50 years, camille, always standing by his side. now, she may be the next one in the hot seat. though she launched a legal battle to prevent being forced to speak about her husband in a related civil case next week, abc news has learned that request has been denied. as for that criminal charge, cosby, who is reportedly worth approximately $400 million, is free on $1 million bail. he faces ten years in prison if convicted. mara siavocampo, abc news, new york. and last night, bill cosby did tweet, and it was this simple five-word message. he said friends and fans, thank you. difficult year ahead for mr. cosby.

one of the most contentious years in politics. >> among the fireworor and bombshells, 2015 saw one of the widest fields of presidential candidates in recent memory. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continuous after this from our abc stations.om our abc stations. today, 1 out of every 4 american kids is hispanic. that means many of the future ctors who will care for us, the engineers who will build our cities, the scientists and entrepreneurs of our country can be your kids. we all know how hard it is for you

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i want to wake up >> reflecting on 2015, it certainly was one of the most active years in politics it seems. >> absolutely. from one of the widest fields of presidential candidates slinging some of the most divisive rhetoric to a sitting pope stepping into the fray. this will be one year for the books. here's abc's karen travers. >> getting in the groove here. >> reporter: it's been an unconvenonal year in politics. surprises. surges. and one bombshell see you later. it's crowded out there on the republican presidential trail. so many candidates, they're doubling up on debates. the main stage and what some called the kids' table. but the gop race has been dominated by one man. >> i am officially running for president of the united states. >> reporter: donald trump launched his campaign with his signature bravado and immediately shook things up. >> our leaders are stupid.

trump balloon would burst but he's nheld on to his commanding lead, he's increased it despite many controversial statements about mexican immigrants. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. >> reporter: and muslims. >> for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: his comments have brought harsh criticism from democrats and republicans. his supporters say finally a candidate who tells it like it is. ben carson had a brief jump in the polls before fading. now ted cruz is riding a strong surge into the new year. on the democratic side, hillary clinton holds wide leads nationally. but some voters are feeling the burn. vermont senator bernie sanders giving the former secretary of state a run for her money. some polls showing him ahead in the key early state ofew hampshire. the controversy over clinton's private e-mail server dogged her on the trail for some time. earlier this fall she tried to

>> that was a mistake.m sorry about that. i take responsibility. >> reporter: that issue sparked perhaps the only real firewo in the democratic debates. >> the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails. >> thank you. >> reporter: the highlight on capitol hill this year came in september when pope francis delivered a historic address to congress. that visit was orchestrated by house speaker john boehner who just one day later dropped a bombshell on washington, announcing he was resigning. >> i woke up and i said my prayers as i always do, and i decided, you know, today's the day i'm going to do this. >> reporter: that launched a m scramble among house republicans. conservatives threw their weight around rejecting candidates to replace boehner. when the dust settled, it was paul ryan who emerged as his party's best option to lead a very fractured republican majority.

presidential campaign has been going on forever, there's still several weekto go before voters finally get to have their say. karen travers, abc news, washington. and, of course, it's only going to get hotter with the iowa caucuses in february, new hampshire coming up. so big year ahead, of course. >> absolutely. if you thought you saw the last of donald trump, huh-uh, 2016 will be him versus it seems like the rest of the field not only the republicans, he's been taking on hillary lately but the one thing i'm looking forward to is more "snl" skits, the best part of the election year in my opinion. >> yeah, great, great point. >> all of it. all right. coming up, buckling down on those new year's resolutions. >> and the most popular new year's resolution is to lose weight.

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let's get physical, physical, i want to get physical let's get into physical let me hear your body talk >> love that song.g. >> that's s good video. new year's resolution to get fit and lose weight. >> yes, you know that one. every year, there's never a shortage of a slew really of new diet fads. this morning we're checking out how some of the biggest stars manage to stay in shape. here is abc's aditi roy. >> reporter: looking to get toned like taraji? kick did like khloe and carrie, bend like jen? now you can as the stars dish on everything from their diet secrets to fitness routines in the latest issue of "us weekly." >> every year, of course, after the holidays getting into the

get tpeir diets and exercise routine into high gear. all of these stars each of them have a fun little tip that anyone can pick up at home. >> for actress gabrielle union, balance is the name of the game. >> balance yourself. if you want the doughnut, have the doughnut. i ate a whole serving of apple cake. i needed it so i ate it. >> top tips? >> eliminate all sugary drinks. are lean meat, sleep and regulating your schedule. i try to get to bed early. >> reporter: no cookies for this cookie. "empire" actress taraji p. henson dropped two sizes in a year thanks to daily two-hour workouts focusing on jogging, squats and her core. the actress revealing i tell myself just show up and your body will change. >> reporter: white hot j.lo loves her greens. i eat asparagus, brussell sprouts, kale, everything you can think of, says the superstar.

now than she did when shwas in her 20s. >> reporter: aditi roy, abc news, san francisco. i like what gabrielle union said, it's all about balance. you got to the have the that berger if you want that berger. dodieprive yourself. >> so many people saying no more drinking after tonight. no more burgers after tonight. look at that. >> and you want to pump some iron like that, phillip. >> see how swoll i am? because i did so much. that's why. >> okay. all right. >> we'll see you. >> announcer: this i iabc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.

insomniacs for two decades. this morning on "world news now," celebrations and terror tensions. >> from a suspected terrorist arrested in upstate new york to a threat on a big city in

to unprecedented security in times square. the mixed feelings as the world welcomes 2016. >> up in flames. fire and smoke spreading through the 66-story building. the injuries, evacuations and investigation. >> holiday misery. the mississippi river at record levels. the deadly and rare wintertime flooding. the property damage and the relief in the forecast. and later, airline hero. the pilot who didn't have to turn the entire plane around because he saw upset passengers in the terminal who missed his flight, but he did make a u-turn and he really saved the day. it's friday, january 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning on thisisew year's day. i'm lauren lyster. >> i'm phillip mena. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. >> absolutely. we spent this new year's hanging

>> we have the party favors to prove it. we should ring in the new year with 2016. >> that's right. beat did not stop the celebrations and it won't stop the celebrations us being here at work. >> let's keep it going. i'm sure there are plenty of people that had a wonderful new year still wanting to enjoy a little fun and some news. >> exactly. so if you just came home from partying, happy new yeye everyone. down in times squarerewe could hearhe fireworks going off when it hit midnight. >> you have good ears. could you really? >> absolutely, up in the office there. >> i was watching the tv. watching the countdown. >> thankfully everything went off without a hitch. that is where we begin with those new year's celebrations worldwide, the tensions and the unprecedented security. >> more than a million revellers watched the brawl drop right there. many waited hours unable to leave because of the security not even to go to the bathroom. there were also 6,000 police offifirs including members of a special counter-terrorism unit.. >> and there were no public celebrations in rochester, new york, the state's third biggest city.

canceled after an alleged isis sympathizer was arrested. investigators say he planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar armed with knives and machete. he hoped the assault would help convince isil to let him join the group overseas. >> in munich, germany, police warned of a serious attack. they've been tipped off to five to seven suicide bombers. with munich'sain train an station and another the primary targets. despite the warnings, thousands of people did ring in the new year with fireworks in munich's downtown. >> november's attacks did not keep parisians from celebrating the holiday in flick. there too the public fireworks display was canceled replaced by a five-minute video performance at the arc de triomphe just before midnight. november's terror attacks left 130 people dead. >> new year's eve celebrations went on as scheduled in dubai

of the city's top hotels. it was a frightening scene as flames shot out of the skyscraper. abc's alex marquardt has the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in video shot by eyewitnesses. it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its famous new year's fireworks show, starting nearby at the world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the new year's celebration would go ahead, and shortly after the clock struck midnight, fireworks burst in the air.

still burning in the background. ere has been no mention of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the new year in a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. couch was returned to the u.s. from mexico yesterday. her attorney says couch did not violate any texas loss when she left the state with her son. she faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon and could be in n il for several days. >> put yououelf in tonya's shoes. what would you do if you're a parent who has the son who is the most hated boy in america? >> ethan couch remains in a mexican jail while he waits for a hearing on whether he will be forced to return to the u.s., a legal process that could go on for weeks or even months. the mississippi river and its tributaries are at or near record levels in much of

the flooding in the st. louis area does begin to recede. most of the fatalities have been motorists and hundreds of highways and roads are still closed. abc's indra petersons reports from the flood zone. >> floodwaters paralyzing parts of the midwest. as rivers crest and records fall, residents race to sandbag homes, hoping they'll be spared. >> we just need a lot of help. >> reporter: pets stranded where water's already rushed in, being rescue too. this was the scene on interstate 55 before officials were finally forced to close it. traffic backed up for miles. these photos showing how quickly the flood waters rose in valley park. we rode along with the u.s. geological survey. they are using doppler radar to monitor the riring mississippi. >> all the rivers that feed this area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the missouri, are all coming to where their flood crests right here today. and so, that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: this time of year, this stretch of the mississippi river should be five feet deep.

to put it all in perspective, there's about ten times the amount of water flowing here right underneath the eads bridge than you typically see flowing over niagara falls. this video from fenton, missouri, shows how powerful that can be. watch this house smash into a bridge. at least 22 deaths in missouri and illinois now being blamed on the flooding. at least four still missing, including two teenage boys in taylorville, illinois. indra petersons, abc news, sunset hills, missouri. in today's forecast, chilly again in the flood zone. lows could be in the single digits in some areas of the snow from wisconsin to upstate new york. heavy rain from new orleans to jacksonville. it is going to be cooler though in the mid-atlantic. >> and 19 in salt lake city. 20s in minneapolis and detroit. 30s in denver and kansas city. 40s and 50s in dallas, atlanta and new york. all right. now it's time for some college football. are you a football fan? >> big-time fan.

let's hope today's five bowl games are better or at least more competitive than the two playoff games we had yesterday. >> yeah, they were a bit of blowouts. we start with the nation's number one team. clemson, the tigers trailed oklahoma by a point at halftime before taking the lead with that short touchdown run. keyshawn watatn struck with a 35-yard touchdown pass and another td in the fourth quarter putting the sooners away for good. clemson moves onto the national title game with a resoundi 37-17 win. and then it was alabama and michigan state's turn. let's sum up by saying the crimson tide absolutely dominated the spartans last night. we'd love to show you a michigan state touchdown or even a field goal or a safety or something, but there weren't any. alabama quarterback jake kocher coacher threw two touchdowns. heisman trophy winner derek henry ran for two more. it came to an en alabama impressive in a 38-0

monday, january 11th. >> and in pasadena, people are focusing on a tradition i'm more a fan of. and that is the parade and then the big games. spectators began lining up on the five-mile parade route nearly 24 hours before the parade. they seemed unfazed by the cool temperatures and unfazed by potential security issues. >> the security this year is unprecedented with the fbi and homeland security assisting. some 44 floats are part of the spectacle. it took volunteers about 80,000 hours s put those floats together. the theme of this year's parade is "find your adventure." >> of course, those floats are so cool because they're made out of flowers and plants. what i found unbelievable, i even had to double-check with one of our producers is that by one estimate, the floats each cost $100,000 to $150,000. they are six-figure floats for that one day, that one parade, phillip. >> well, that's why people like it so much because it's so well thought out. you know what, that is one of

year's. that's hangover cure right there is to sit there, watch the parade and watch the rose bow games all new year's day. there's college football all day long. what else are you going to do? sit on your couch? that's how you welcome the new year. coming up "the mix," university researchers banning overused phrases or words for the new year. which ones would you ban? >> i'm going to think about it. also ahead, the airline pilot who spotted emotional passengers in the terminal who had missed his flight. his unprecedented decision to make a u-turn. >> later the sights and sounds of 2015 from scandal cecebrities to fear and >nd what will you remember from 2015? join the conversation on our facebook page. wnnfans.com and on twitter, we're @abcwnn. so go ahead, break the internet. u're watching "world news now." break the internet. you're watching "world news now." you may think you can put off checking out your

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united states called the benjamin franklin. it was launched from a chinese shipyard last month, and it arrived at the port of oakland, california, yesterday. this thing is a quarter mile long, longer than four football fields or even the empire state building laid on its side. it's going to make regular deliveries from china to the u.s. west coast. >> wow. >> if you can believe it. >> just made the clearance there. another rare sight yesterday involving a giant vehicle played out at the minneapolisist. paul international airport. >> the pilot of a delta air lines flight made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac. isn't that unbelievable? he returned to the gate. but just wait until you hear why he did it. here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was about to miss it. >> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and time to catch their connection to memphis ran out. the plane pushed back without

>> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and my mom were sitting there in tears and i'm sitting there screaming through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw the family. he radioed in and found out they were upset, because, for them, missing the flight meant missing their father's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: thacaptain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphihiin time totoay good-bye. >> it's very rare, someone stops and does something so kind and we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. they would not have made it. that was the last flight of the day. >> incredible. >> kudos to delta for that. >> next, out with the old and in

>> but before we say good-bye to 2015, we're going to take a look back at some of the year's biggest events to make the headlines. whatyou think was the biggest story of the year? you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. there are 16 million children struggling with hunger in america. that's 1 in 5 daughters, sons, neighbors, and classmates who don't know where their next meal is coming from. yet billions of pounds of good food go to waste every year. it's time we do something about it. feeding america is a nationwide network of food banks that helps provide meals to millions of kids and families in need. visit feedingamerica.org to help them feed even more. together we can solve hunger.

>> this is our favorite. because as millions of americans -- oh, look. everyone's in on it. as millions of americans do what we just did, ring in 2016, we here at "world news now" would like to take a few moments to ring out 2015. >> what a year it has been for news. we've seen everything from natural disasters to terror attacks and from racial unrest to one of the most divisive presidential races in recent

>> a 7.magnitude earthquake centered in nepal. >> this team has brought this young man out of this building. and he is alive. >> epitome of chaos hit mt. everest. >> the airbus a-320 crashed in the french alps. >> that young co-pilot had every intention to destroy that plane. >> tangible proof that mh-370 crashed into the indian ocean. >> prince george is now a big brother. growing outrage after a beloved lion was killed by an american dentist. >> mexico's most notorious drug dealer is now also its most wanted man. >> kayla mueller held by isis now confirmed dead. >> kayla touched the heart of the world. >> an attack on a train foiled by quick thinking american passengers. >> the plane with more than 200 people on board went down in egypt. >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff meeting at the "charlie hebdo" offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war. >> the people are comi quicker than we can load them.

>> and chaos. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six separate locations. at least 129 killed. >> if i live in fear, they won. >> the suspects are now cornered. >> abdel amin abboud is dead. the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> several down in the conference room. >> farook and tashfeen malik had made their plans to attack well in advance. >> there's been a mass shooting in a community college in southern oregon. >> somehow, this has become routine. >> gunfire ripping through this louisiana movie theater. >> a gunman opened fire. >> police exchanging gunfire with a man inside this colorado springs planned parenthood. >> horrific c agedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> dylann roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate. we have to forgive. >> a historic moment set in motion by the killings. thousands gathered in selma to remember that day in 1965. >> it's become a very important day in my life. >> reporter: an ugly scene in

still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> sandra bland's death in a texas jail is sparking outrage. >> police officer michael slager fires eight times at walter scott. >> he was my son. >> be on the lookout for two escapees from clinton county correctional facility. >> many comparing it to the plot of shawshank redemption. >> the massive manhunt finally over. >> an amtrak train derailed in philadelphia. >> going more than 100 miles per hour. >> verdict is in. the death penalty for dzhokhar tsarnaev. >> he wanted to go to hell and he's going to get there early. >> i sentence the defendant to life ip prisonment. >> james holmes received 12 consecutive life sentences. >> more than 25,000 firefighters battling 65 wildfires. >> this is a disaster. >> this pristine shoreline now an oily mess. >> he it's the biggest break through yet. >> liquid water has been found on mars. >> the pope touching down. >> the land of the free. >> i would have gone anywhere to see the pope.

>> i will. >> a handshake five decades in > former house speaker dennis hastert. charge. about what more could have been done. >> an 11-hour hearing about the 2012 attacks on a u.s. diplomatic post. president obama's health care law. >> same-sex marriage now the law of the land. that does not mean everyone is on board. >> by whose authority? >> god's authority. >> the united states has reached a historic understanding with iran. >> what a stunning historic mistake. >> the u.s. is sending special operations forces to syria. >> this isn't a pipeline. it's a lifeline. >> the keystone xl pipeline would not serve the national interests. >> it was the interview heard round the world. >> for all intents and purposes, i am a woman. >> the longest-running late night show host ever, taking the stage one last time. >> jon stewart signing off for the last time.

>> for a highly anticipated film. >> it was just magical. >> all right. as we said good-bye to 2015 and hello to 2016, you know where the tradition comes from to celebrate with friends and family? it's because that's supposed to be a harbinger of luck. so if you see enemies that's bad luck. i don't know what the -- >> i'm glad i got to be with good people. >> i know. amazing viewers, great fans of this show. very happy about that. that bodes well for the year. fake confetti definitely bodes well. >> we got off to a good start and so did you. coming up the year's most overused phrases and words. >> and the year's monumental

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people trying to get rid of them at the university, lake superior state university, they have released this list. so. >> bit of an annual tradition. >> actually, so is the first one. >> did you plan that or did that just happen? >> so is the first one. join the conversation is another overused and now banished word according to them, and break the internet. those three. the thing is, these are very valuable contributions to modern vocabulary. how would we do away with any of them? what would kim kardashian do without breaking the internet? >> there you go. i could not even get through telling you that without saying so. >> quickly before we go, some million people were in times square to ring in the new year. one thing you may not think how much trash do you think they have to clean up? what would you guess, phillip? you know this. you know the answer. >> it's a whole bunch. >> it's a whole bunch. in one square mile, 50 to 52

all the confetti, all the food, all those revellers literally leaving behind tons of trash. >> good work. now it's polka time. >> broadway's lyric theater with cast members of "on the town." politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores that's the world news polka take it siri >> if you're an insomniac and a good night's sleep you lack, the world news polka it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance hey have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal, do the world news polka. with spf 1000, you can lounge beneath the trees because with

million degrees five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek that's the world news polka i hear they watch us in the swamp and think that we're all right well, it sure beats croaking in the middle of the night yeah. five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek and the world news polka one more time.

everybody. this morning on "world news now," celebrations and terror tensions. >> from a suspected terrorist

a threat on a big city in germany. to unprecedented security in times square. the mixed feelings as the world welcomes 2016. up in flames. the fire in a high rise hotel, fire and smoke from the building. the injuries, evacuations and investigation. holiday misery. the mississippi river at record levels. the deadly and rare wintertime flooding. the property damage and the relief in the forecast. and later, airline hero. the pilot who didn't have to turn the entire plane around because he saw upset passengers in the terminal who missed his flight but did he make a u-turn and he really saved the day. it's friday, january 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning on this new year's day, i'm lauren lyster. >> i'm phillip mena. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. >> we spent this new year's hanging out here at work.

we have the party favors to prove it. we should ring in the new year with 2016. >> did not stop the celebrations and it won't stop the celebrations, us being here at work. >> let's keep it going. i'm sure there are plenty of people that had a wonderful new year still wanting to enjoy fun and some news. >> exactly. if you just came home from partying, happy new year. down in times square we could hear the fireworks going off when it hit midnight. and thankfully -- >> could you really? >> absolutely. up in the office there. >> i was watching the tv, watching the countdown. off without a hitch. celebrations worldwide. the tensions and the unprecedented security. >> more than a million revellers watched the ball drop in times square right there. many waited hours unable to leave because of the security. not even to go to the bathroom. there were also 6,000 police officers including members of a special counter-terrorism unit. >> and there were no public celebrations in rochester, new york.

the fireworks were canceled after an alleged isis sympathize sympathizer was arrested. investigators say he planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar armed with knives and a machete. police say he hoped the assault would convince isis to join the group overseas. >> it was also a subdued new year's eve in munich, germany, where police were warned of a serious imminent attack. to seven suicide bombers with munich's main train station and despite the warnings, thousands of people did ring in the new year with fireworks in munich's downtown. >> november's attacks did not keep parisians from celebrating the holiday in public, but there, too the public fireworks display was canceled replaced by a performance at the arc de triomphe just before midnight. police surrounded the major landmarks in paris to watch out for trouble after november's terror attacks that left 130 people dead. new year's eve celebrations went on as scheduled in dubai despite a fire that engulfed one

it was a frightening scene as flames shot out of the skyscraper. abc's alex marquardt as the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in video shot by eyewitnesses. it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its famous new year's fireworks show, starting nearby at the world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the new year's celebration would go

burst in the air. a surreal scene with the hotel still burning in the background. there has been no mentn of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the new year in a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. couch was returned to the u.s. from mexico yesterday. her attorney says couch did not violate any texas laws when she she left the state with her son. she faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon and could be in jail for several days. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes. what would do if you're a parent who has a son who is the most hated boy in america? >> ethan couch remains in a mexican jail while he waits for a hearing on wther he will be forced to return to the u.s., for weeks or even months. the mississippi river and

missouri and illinois even as the flooding in the st. louis area does begin to recede. most of the fatalities have been motorists, and hundreds of highways and roads are still closed. abc's indra peterson reports from the flood zone. >> reporter: floodwaters paralyzing parts of the midwest, as rivers crest and records fall, residents race to sandbag homes, hoping they'll be spared. >> we just need a lot of help. >> reporter: pets stranded where water's already rushed in, being rescued, too. this was the scene on interstate 55 before officials were finally traffic backed up for miles. these photos showing how quickly we rode along with the u.s. geological survey. they're using doppler radar to monitor the rising mississippi. >> all the rivers that feed this area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the missouri, are all coming to where their flood crests are right here today. and so, that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: this time of year,

river should be five feet deep. now it's 42 feet. to put it all in perspective, there's about ten times the amount of water flowing here right underneath the eves bridge than you typically see flowing over niagara falls. this video from fenton, missouri, shows how powerful that can be. watch this house smash into a bridge. at least 22 deaths in missouri and illinois now being blamed on the flooding. at least four still missing, including two teenage boys in taylorville, illinois. indra petersons, abc news, sunset hills, missouri. in today's forecast, chilly again in the flood zone. lows could be in the single digits in some areas of the midwest. snow from wisconsin to upstate new york. heavy rain from new orleans to jacksonville. it is going to be cooler though in the mid-atlantic. >> and 19 in salt lake city. 20s in minneapolis and detroit. 30s in denver and kansas city. 40s and 50s in dallas, atlanta and new york. downright balmy.

are you a football fan? >> big-time. >> i'll hand it over to you in a minute. let's hope today's five bowl games are better or at least more competitive than the two playoff games we had yesterday. >> they were a bit of a blowout, but we start with the nation's number one team, clemson. the tigers trailed oklahoma by a point at halftime before taking the lead with that short touchdown run. deshaun watson then struck with a 35-yard touchdowns and another td in the fourth quarter put the sooners away for good. clemson moves onto the national title game with a resounding 37-17 win. then it was alabama and michigan state's turn and let's sum it up by saying the crimson tide absolutely dominated the spartans last night. we'd love to show you a michigan state touchdown or even a field goal or safety or something but there weren't any. alabama quarterback jake coker threw two touch downs. heisman winner derek henry ran for two more. mercifully it did come to an end, alabama with the 3-0

for the national title monday january 11th. in pasadena, people are focusing on a tradition i'm more a fan of -- that is the parade and then the big game. spectators began lining up on the five-mile parade route parade. they seem unfazed by the cool temperatures and potential security issues. >> the security this year is unprecedented with the fbi and homeland security assisting. some 44 floats are part of the spectacle. it took volunteers about 80,000 hours to put those floats together. the theme of this year's parade is "find your adventure." >> of course those floats are so cool because they're made out of flowers and plants. what i found unbelievable, i even had to double-check with one of our producers, is that by one estimate, the floats each cost 100,000 to $150,000. they are six-figure floats for that one day. that one parade, phillip. >> well, that's why people like it so much because it's so well thought out. you know what?

to do on new year's. that's a hangover cure right there, to sit there and watch the rose bowl, watch the parade and watch the rose bowl games. there's college football all day long. what else are you going to do? sit on your couch? that's how you welcome in the new year. coming up "the mix," university researchers banning overused phrases or words for the new year. which ones would you ban? >> i'm going to think about it. also ahead, the airline pilot who spotted emotional passengers in the terminal who had missed his flight. his unprecedented decision to make a u-turn. >> later, the sightsnds of 2015. from scandals to celebrities, to fear and disbelief. >> and what do you remember from 2015? join the conversation on our facebook page, wnnfans.com and on twitter we're @abcwnf. so go ahead, break the internet.

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you are looking at the largest cargo ship ever to visit the united states. it's cled the benjamin it was launched from a chinese shipyard last month. and it arrived at the port of oakland, california, yesterday. this thing is a quarter mile long, longer than four football fields or even the empire state building laid on its side. deliveries from china to the >> wow. >> if you can believe it. >> just made the clearance there. another rare sight yesterday involving a giant vehicle played out at the minneapolis st. paul international airport. >> the pilot of a delta airlines flight made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac. isn't that unbelievable? he returned to the gate. but just wait until you hear why he did it. here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was about to miss it. >> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and

to memphis ran out. the plane pushed back without them. >> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and my mom were sitting there in tears and i'm sitting there screaming through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw the family. he radioed in and found out they were upset, because, for them, missing the flight meant missing their father's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: that captain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphis in time to say good-bye. >> it's very rare someone stops and does something so kind and we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. they would not have made it. that was the last flight of the day. >> incredible. >> kudos to delta for that. >> next, out with the old and in

>> but before we say good-bye to 2015, we're going to take a look back at some of the year's biggest events to make the what do you think was the you're watching "world news now." >> announc >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our next! you want mustard on that or not! come on, come on. i haven't got all day here! it doesn't come with peppers! they're extra! hurry up.pay the lady! next! the chicken's fresh. i killed it myself. so that's what you want? next! while we're still young! you know you told me you wanted mustard. get outta here! time's up! back of the line! hey. excuse me. what! great sandwich. thanks. you didn't have to be so nice get outta here.

>> this is our favorite. because as millions of americans -- oh, look. everyone's in on it. as millions of americans do what we just did, ring in 2016, we here at "world news now" would like to take a few moments to ring out 2015. >> what a year it has been for news. we've seen everything from natural disasters to terror attacks and from racial unrest to one of the most divisive

memory. >> a 7.8 magnitude earthquake centered in nepal. >> the death toll now surging. >> this team has brought this young man out of this building. and he is alive. >> epitome of chaos hit mt. everest. >> the airbus a-320 crashed in the french alps. >> a horrifying realization -- >> that young co-pilot had every intention to destroy that plane. >> tangible proof that mh-370 crashed into the indian ocean. >> prince george is now a big brother. >> growing outrage after a beloved lion was killed by an american dentist. >> mexico's most notorious drug wanted man. >> kayla mueller held by isis now confirmed dead. >> kayla has touched the heart of the world. >> an attack on a packed train foiled by quick thinking american passengers. >> he said let's go. people on board went down in >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff meeting at the "charlie hebdo" offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis

than we can load them. >> anger, frustration. >> and chaos. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six separate locations. at least 129 killed. >> if i live in fear, they won. cornered. >> abdel amin abboud is dead. the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> several down in the conference room. >> farook and tashfeen malik had made their plans to attack well in advance. >> there's been a mass shooting southern oregon. >> somehow, this has become routine. >> gunfire ripping through this louisiana movie theater. >> a gunman opened fire. >> police exchanging gunfire with a man inside this colorado rings planned parenthood. >> horrific tragedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> 21-year-old dylann roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate. we have to forgive. >> a historic moment set in motion by the killings. thousands gathered in selma to

day in my life. >> reporter: an ugly scene in baltimore. still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> sandra bland's death in a texas jail is sparking outrage. >> police officer michael slager fires eight times at walter scott. >> he was my son. >> be on the lookout for two escapees from clinton county correctional facility. >> many comparing it to the plot of shawshank redemption. >> the massive manhunt finally over. >> an amtrak train derailed in philadelphia. >> going more than 100 miles per hour. >> the death penalty for dzhokhar tsarnaev. >> he wanted to go to hell and he's going to get there early. >> i sentence the defendant to the life imprisonment. >> james holmes received 12 consecutive life sentences. >> the record broken. boston buried under snow. >> more than 25,000 firefighters battling 65 wildfires. >> this is a disaster. >> this pristine shoreline now an oily mess. >> it's the biggest of break through yet. >> liquid water has been found on mars. >> the pope touching down.

>> i would have gone anywhere to see the pope. >> pray for me. >> i will. >> a handshake five decades in the making. > former house speaker dennis hastert. >> guilty to a felony banking charge. >> i have been racking my brain about what more could have been done. >> an 11-hour hearing about the 2012 attacks on a u.s. diplomatic post. >> another big victory for president obama's health care law. >> our love. >> same-sex marriage now the law of theand. that does not mean everyone is on board. >> by whose authority? >> god's authority. >> the united states has reached a historic understanding with iran. >> what a stunning historic mistake. >> the u.s. is sending special operations forces to syria. >> this isn't a pipeline. it's a lifeline. >> the keystone xl pipeline would not be the national interests. >> it was the interview heard round the world. >> for all intents and purposes, i am a woman. >> the longest-running late night show host ever taking the stage one last time. >> jon stewart signing off for

>> the force has awakened. >> for a highly anticipated film. >> it was just magical. >> all right. as we say good-bye to 2015 and hello to 2016, you know where the tradition comes from to celebrate with friends and family? it's because that's supposed to be a harbinger of luck. so if you see enemies or that kind of thing, that's bad luck. i don't know what the -- >> i'm glad i got to be with good people. >> amazing viewers, great fans of this show. very happy about that. that bodes well for the year. fake confetti definitely bodes well. >> we got off to a good start and so did you. coming up the year's most overused phrases and words. >> and the year's monumental trash pile "the mix" and the polka are next.

polka are next. the leading cough liquid only provides relief for four hours, but did you know there's a product that lasts for twelve hours? try delsym twelve hour cough liquid. its advanced formula works byimmediately releasing powerful medicine that acts fast while its extended release medicine lasts for 12 hours. in fact, delsym lasts three times longer than the leading cough liquid. for all day or all night relief, try delsym -the #1 doctor recommended 12 hour cough liquid. this has been medifacts for delsym . it is time for "the mix,"

words in our language. people trying to get rid of them at the university -- lake superior state university, they have released this list. so -- >> bit of an annual tradition. >> actually, so is the first one. >> did you plan that? >> i didn't. so is the first one. join the conversation is another overused and now banished word according to them, and break the internet. those three. >> the thing is, these are very valuable contributions to modern vocabulary. i think. how would we do away with any of them? what would kim kardashian do without breaking the internet? >> there you go. i could not get through telling you that without saying so. >> i know. >> we had an entire piece with all those words. >> quickly before we go, some million people were in times square to ring in the new year. one thing you may not think about, all of thtrash. how much trash do you think they have to clean up? what would you guess, phillip? you know the answer. >> it's a whole bunch. >> it's a whole bunch.

tons of trash. >> whoa. >> all the confetti, all the food, all those revellers literally leaving behind tons of trash. >> good work. now it's polka time. >> broadway's lyric theater with cast members of "on the town." politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores that's the world news polka >> take it siri. >> if you're an insomniac and a good night's sleep you lack, the world news polka it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance hey have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal, do the world

with spf 1000 you can lounge beneath the trees because with global warming it's a cool million degrees five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek that's the world news polka i hear they watch us in the swamp and think that we're all right well, it sure beats croaking in the middle of the night yeah. five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek and the world news polka one more time. do the world news polka

everybody. with us for "good morning america." have a great weekend. happy new year! making news in america this morning -- the new year arrives safely across the u.s. celebrations from coast to coast

security. for authorities 2016 is off to a successful start. towering inferno, the spectacular scenes from dubai as a luxury hotel is engulfed in flames. investigators now on the scene. quite an arrival on the west coast. some absolutely amazing facts about the largest cargo ship to ever arrive here in the u.s. it cleared the golden gate bridge with just 20 feet to spare. and starting the new year the right way. by being nice to others. a family, a police officer and the reason they came together in the first place. good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm lauren lyster. our top story this morning, it was a tense but uneventful new year around the world. despite terror warnings, people turned out, not letting

>> take a look at these live pictures of new york's times square. just hours ago, the crossroads of the world was packed with a million revellers and 6,000 police officers. >> three, two, one -- happy new year! >> it's finally 2016. and people around the world are ringing in the new year with those three familiar words. >> all: happy new year! >> happy new year! >> from a jam-packed times square in new york, all of the way to moscow, crowds cheered as colorful fireworks displays painted the night sky. new zealand was the first to ring in the new year, with australia nipping at its heel. lighting up the famous sydney harbor. celebrations from hong kong to tokyo illuminating the night sky. one show in particular left the world watching in a different kind of awe. in dubai, even with a hotel fire

tallest building, the burj khalifa, 1.6 tons of fireworks carried on their display as scheduled. all across the globe millions crowded historic landmarks just to get a glimpse of the fireworks. cities around the world are in a heightened state of alert. paris canceling some events. where festivities were also canceled. amid security fears over a similar-style attacks. those fears nearly realized here at home. in rochester, new york, federal officials arrested a man believed to planning a terrorist attack. leading to the cancellation of the city's fireworks display. and that alleged isis sympathizer planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar in new york's third largest city.

problem with killing people. new year's eve celebrations were scaled back in several european cities because of worries about terror. in germany, police evacuated two munich train stations just hours before midnight, this, after getting tips from another country. it was believed five to seven suicide bombers were planning an attack. nothing happened and the two stations have reopened as we mentioned, that fire in a dubai skyscraper didn't stop the city's celebration. a terrifying ordeal for those inside the hotel when it went up in flames. abc's alex marquardt has the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in

it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its famous new year's fireworks %-pshow, starting nearby at the world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the new year's celebration would go ahead, and shortly after the clock struck midnight, fireworks burst in the air. a surreal scene with the hotel still burning in the background. there has been no mention of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the night in a los angeles jail. on a $1 million bond. from mexico yesterday. her attorney said she did not

left the state with her son. couch faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon, her she's not only spending the holiday in jail she could be in custody for days. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes, what would you do as a parent who has a son who's the most hated people in america. >> ethan couch waiting in a mexico jail. the floodwaters are starting to recede in missouri and wouldn't know it but looking at the devastation. at least 22 people have drowned. most of them were motorists. hundreds of roads are closed, including part of an interstate, homes and businesses are under water with thousands of people displaced and all that water is heading south. coming up -- a rough year for stocks. wait until you hear how much america's most famous investor lost in 2015. plus, america getting back into the oil export business, the first shipment in decades on

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tanker left the port of corpus christi, it's hauling light crude from an oil field in south texas and heading to italy. the ban on oil exports was stocks have staggered to the end of a disappointing 2015. yesterday's final trading day of the year saw the dow drop nearly 179 points. the nasdaq was off 58. the s&p 500 slipped more than 19 points. for all of 2015, the dow ded more than 2%, its worst year since 2008. the nasdaq was the only major average gaining ground, nearly 6 .. the s&p was off slightly 2015 was also a bad year for warren buffett, he lost $11 shares of his company berkshire hathaway slid 11%. but he's still the world's third

and you may be feeling a little bit richer this morning after a year of low gas prices. 2015 ended with the national average price at exactly $2. aaa estimates each licensed driver saved an average of almost $600 over the past year and the outlook is good for 2016. because there's so much crude oil on the market. and a milestone, the world's largest mcdonald's has served its last big mac. located on international drive in orlando, the iconic structure was built to look like a giants box of fries. >> no worries for the millions who eat at that restaurant, it's being replaced with an even bigger mcdonald's being built right next door. the new place is set to open in february with plenty of room, 19,000 square feet. when we come back -- a new legal battle stemming from the charges facing bill cosby. and hold those tigers, oklahoma couldn't.

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driving from seattle to just about anywhere in the west should be easy this morning. but drivers should watch out for wet roads along the gulf and southeast coast. roads could be slippery along the great lakes and upstate new york. next up this morning -- a new twist in the case against bill cosby, he's facing his first criminal charges of sexual assault after allegations made by dozens of women. >> now, there's a new legal battle, it involves cosby's wife. abc's mara schiavocampo has the story. >> reporter: the criminal case against bill cosby playing out in the court of public opinion. after the 78-year-old comedian appeared in court, facing a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. >> reopening this case was our duty. >> reporter: prosecutors saying cosby sexually assaulted andrea constand in 2004, after giving her pills and alcohol at his suburban philadelphia home. now, cosby's attorney making the media rounds, vowing to fight what she calls an unjustified charge. >> i have faith in the justice system. >> reporter: and some of cosby's other accusers, also reacting to

>> i just started to cry. i think they were tears of relief, tears of joy and tears of validation. >> reporter: more than 50 women have come forward, claiming cosby sexually assaulted, drugged or raped them, which he has consistently denied. his wife of 50 years, camille, always standing by his side. now, she may be the next one in the hot seat. though she launched a legal battle to prevent being forced to speak about her husband in a related civil case next week, abc news has learned that request has been denied. now, as for that criminal charge, cosby, who is reportedly worth approximately $400 million, is free on $1 million bail. he faces ten years in prison if convicted of that charge. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. next week, president obama is expected to take executive action against gun violence. it could expand background checks for anyone buying guns. the white house may also impose tighter rules for reporting guns

way to a buyer. but any move made by the president is likely to be opposed by gun rights advocates. the state department said portions of 2075 e-mails released yesterday from hillary clinton's time as secretary of state. have been newly classified. clinton said she didn't received or send information that was classified at the time. the state department also said it fell short of the number of e-mails it was ordered to release by a federal judge. so more e-mails will be released next week. 2016 begins with a tobacco crackdown in hawaii, where the legal smoking age is now 21, it's the first state if the nation to take such action. the new law starting today also includes electronic cigarettes. stores could be fine up to $2,000. now some sports. there are five college football bowl games today, highlighted by

the fiesta bowl. as for college football playoff, highlights now from espn. happy new year, everybody. i'm chris hassell, new year's eve, college football playoff. let's go from four down to two. who is going to play for the college football national championship a week from monday? nick saban going to be a part of it. he took his former assistant mark dantonio to the woodshed. cyrus jones, big interception to end the first quarter. jones, waiting back at his own 43, all kinds of room and watch the moves from number 5, right there. alabama, 38-0, largest shutdown in cotton bowl history. so number two is in and so is number one.

tigers struggled for the first quarter of this game, watson certainly struggled with the arm early, not the legs. 145 rushing yards. most by a quarterback in orange bowl history. and then he got the arm going a little bit, too. clemson runs away in the second half and dabo swinney is going to face nick saban in the national championship game. a week from monday. on espn. "sportscenter" is live this morning, 7:00 a.m. eastern time. i'm chris hassel. happy new year. have a great one. all right, thanks chris. to entertainment now, the end of an era in heavy metal music. motley crue performed the last time last night. at the staples center in los angeles. >> the band was a major influence on groups including poison and guns and roses.

film of that performance. up next in "the pulse" -- the beautiful floats have to roll in pasadena, an early look at some of them. and the family that nearly missed their flight until a delta pilot took an extraordinary step. their story straight ahead. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva.com don't tough it out, knock it out, fast.

working on my feet all day gave me pain here. in my lower back but now, i step on this machine and get my number which matches my dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic inserts. now i get immediate relief from my foot pain. my lower back pain. find a machine at drscholls.com i'm billy, and i quit smoking with chantix. i decided to take chantix to shut everybody else up about me quitting smoking. i was going to give it a try, but i didn't think it was going to really happen. after one week of chantix, i knew i could quit. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had ee any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, whichcould get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you haveheart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms.

of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. being a non-smoker feels great. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. we start the first "pulse" of 2016 with some parades. because everyone loves a parade. first up, today's tournament of roses parade in pasadena, california. >> dozens of floats all decked out and ready to roll along the five-mile parade route. today's the 127th annual parade. the theme is find your adventure. >> filmmaker ken burns is the grand marshal. volunteers spent about 80,000 putting those floats together and as always, they look amazing.

parade has already passed in key west, florida. >> this was the annual weiner wonderland parade. the canine costumes ram the gamut from the sea creatures to star wars characters. next up, a classy move from the delta pilot. who was about to take off from minneapolis/st. paul airport. >> he made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac and return to the gate. abc's clayton sandell tells us why he did it. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was about to miss it. >> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and time to catch their connection to memphis ran out. the plane pushed back without them. >> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and mom were sitting

through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw them and he radioed in and found out the family was upset because missing the flight meant missing their dad's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: the captain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphis in time to say good-bye. >> it's very rare someone does something so kind. we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency. and finally, another simple example of people just being nice to each other. it happened during a trip to a restaurant in baton rouge, louisiana. >> steve taylor and his family re out to eat and that's when a police officer came over to where they were sitting. >> he introduced himself and,

behaved my kids were. >> i just observed how they were well mannered. and that was unusual. >> he offered to pay for our meal. i said, no, man, you can't do that. there were eight of us. it was a real good feeling. nobody's ever done like that for me and my family before. >> taylor said he went to the media with the story because he wanted to sure that corporal freeman was recognized for his kindness. and as a thank you they bought him a dozen doughnuts. and we have more coming up after this. please, stay with us. coming up after this. please, stay with us. this is claira. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for her she's agreed to give it u u that's today? we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. after the deliveries, i was ok. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again. more pills? seriously? seriously.

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with unique extended release technology, helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. i want this time to be my last time. that's why i choose nicoderm cq. you checking our top stories -- the new year was welcomed in new york's times square and many other cities. but a few scaled back or terrorism.

planned in dubai despite a huge fire engulfing one of the city's biggest hotels. investigators now trying to figure out what sparked this fire. they have ruled out terrorism the floodwaters in missouri and illinois are starting to recede. but the disaster is far from over. roads and homes are under water and transportation through the region is a mess. looking at today's weather, lake-effect snow from wisconsin to upstate new york. otherwise, dry and cool across the midwest. rain along the gulf. mild and dry along the west. and finally on this new year's day, a reminder that every year has 525,600 minutes. >> they go by so fast. let's take one last look back at how some of those minutes went by in 2015. >> a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. centered in nepal. >> the death toll now surging. >> a horrifying realization.

intention to destroy that plane. >> tangible proof that it crashed into the indian ocean. >> mexico's most notorious drug dealer is now also its most wanted man. >> an attack on a packed train foiled by quick-thinking american passengers. >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff meeting at the charlie hebdo offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six different locations. >> the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> somehow this has become routine. >> gunfire ripping through this louisiana movie theater. >> tragedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> dylan roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate so we have to forgive. >> thousands gathered in selma

>> still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> the police officer fires eight times at walter scott -- >> he was my son. >> the pope touching down. >> the land of the free -- >> same-sex marriage now the law of the land, but that does not mean everyone is on board. >> the united states has reached a historic understanding with iran. >> the interview heard round the world. >> the force has awakened. >> for a highly anticipated film. >> it's just magical. >> and that is what's making news in america this morning. >> other than your glasses. stay with us for "good morning america." have a great weekend. happy new year! with us for "good morning america." have a great weekend. happy new year! making news in america this morning -- the new year arrives safely across the u.s. celebrations from coast to coast

security.