the female police officer gunned down on her first day on the job. the call for help that turned deadly. and what we're learning tonight about the alleged gunman. trapped in midair. the nose dive crash that ended like this. the 87-year-old pilot trapped for hours. how rescuers finally got him out. countdown to the oscars. on the red carpet, and behind the scenes. the controversy. the chris rock factor. and a beefed up oscar. the award's new look. and good evening. thank you for joining us on this sunday. and we are counting down to the oscars tonight, and super tuesday, just two days away. the high stakes showdown. republican front-runner donald trump, under fire tonight. the race issue exploding. critics demanding he denounce the ku klux klan. marco rubio on a relentless attack, calling trump a conman. as ted cruz goes even further,

his tax returns because of possible mob ties. abc's mary bce starts us off tonight. >> donald trump! >> reporter: tonight, donald trump on the defensive, forced to explain this answer when asked if he condemns the ku klux klan and its former grand wizard, david duke's call to vote for trump. >> i'm just talking about david duke and the ku klux klan here. >> i don't know david duke. i don't believe i've ever met him. and i just don't know anything about him. >> reporter: the backlash was swift. his rivals pouncing. >> we cannot be a party who nominates someone who refuses to condemn the ku klux klan. we cannot be a party that does that. >> reporter: tuesdayed cruz tweeting, really sad. you're better than this. kkk is abhorrent. trump fired back, noting this previous response. >> i didn't even know he endorsed me, david duke endorsed me? okay, i disavow, okay?

win big on super tuesday. trump boosted eded by his huge endorsement from chris christie. the new jersey governor was challenged today. >> you endorse the ban of having noncitizen muslims -- >> no, i'm saying that's only one piece of an overall approach. >> you disagree with you? >> i said that very plainly. >> reporter: with just two days until the next contest, the rival campaigns have turned into attack machines. hammering trump for not releasing his tax returns, speck speculateing about what he's hiding. >> there have been multiple media reports about donald's business dealings with the mafia. >> reporter: hetrump says he plans to release the tax returns, julgs not now. and tom, marco rubio hoping to get more momentum heading into tuesday, but he has a long way to go. and making it harder, donald trump just nabbed another big endorsement.

alabama senator jeff sessions. tom? >> all right, mary, thank you. now, to the democrats. hillary clinton, riding that wave of momentum into super tuesday. clinton winning south carolina by almost 50 points. receiving huge support from a record turnout among black voters. bernie sanders vowing not to give up the fight, promising to challenge clinton until the very end. abc's david wright with the clinton campaign in arkansas tonight. >> reporter: in nashville, today, a scene straight out of abc's "scandal." the actor that plays the president made a show of telling her about donald trump's latest gaffe. >> you heard about his latest. >> what did he do now? >> he didn't know who david duke was. >> oh, that's pathetic. >> reporter: clinton's huge victory in south carolina has put a new spring in her step, heading into super tuesday. she has more delegates and more momentum than bernie sanders, as

>> we got decimated, george. we got decimated. >> reporter: clinton's mood, buoyant. >> i'm actually kind of looking forward, if i'm fortunate enough, to be the nominee, debating any one of them. >> reporter: she's also pointedly making nice. creating a contrast with some of the republican rhetoric. >> i think we need more love and kindness. >> reporter: now, postof the super tuesday states are right here in the south, and that should play to clinton's strengths. but it plays into the expectations game, so, if bernie sanders is able to score a few big unexpected wins, well, the momentum of this race could change again. tom? >> and david, on that point, let's get right to abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. jon, what's senator sanders' path to stop clinton at this point? >> reporter: well, it's a narrow path. he has noto show that he can win in the south.

prize of california. the biggest delegate stake of all. that's not until june, and if he doesn't do better before then, he will be out of it. >> we're less than 48 hours from the voting on super tuesday. do you think this kkk controversy hurts donald trump? >> reporter: we don't know. on one hand, he's retweeted white supremacists in the past and not faced a backlash, but this could be different. look at the way his rivals poupsed on it and look at the way he felt a need almost immediately to come out and clarify to say, yes, i disavow. republican primary voter will tolerate a lot, but i don't think they will toll rate outright racism. >> all right, jon, thank you so much. stay with abc news for full coverage on super tuesday. special editions of "good morning america" and "world news tonight", george stephanopoulos and the entire powerhouse political team on the air, beginning at 10:00 p.m. eastern, tuesday night. and we do move on now to shooting making national headlines tonight.

her first day on the job. two other officers wounded. her police cruiser today turned into a memorial. you see it there, with black bunting, a wreath placed on the hood. the alleged gunman, an army staff sergeant, assigned to the pentagon. abc's gloria riviera on the investigation tonight. >> reporter: tonight, a police department in the tight knit community it serves devastated by a shocking loss. prince p ashley guindon killed in the line of duty. >> when news came that she passed, it was -- it hit us. we weren'txpecting it at all. >> reporter: authorities say the officer responded to a 911 call, reporting domestic abuse. >> i just want to be clear. do we have officers involved in a shooting? >> we have three officers that have been shot. >> reporter: it was here in this quiet upscale neighborhood that rookie cop ashley guindon and two others approached that front door. police say almost immediately

opening fire, and they all went down. >> i saw the officer laying right there, holding his leg, i figure he got hot. >> reporter: neighbor zakhar risch harris saying he heard three gunshots. the suspect, ronald hamilton, assigned to the pentagon. hamilton's wife was found dead inside the home. the two other officers are expected to recover. now, officer guindon's squad car, draped in black to honor the rookie lost too soon. ronald hamilton is expected to appear in court tomorrow. he is facing two murder charges, murder in the first and capital murder, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. tom snl. >> all right, gloria, thank you. overseas now, the fragile cease-fire in syria. reports of russian air strikes hitting targets in the cities of aleppo and raqqah.

middle, hoping the truce holding long enough for much needed humanitarian supplies to arrive. abc's alex marquardt in the region for us tonight. >> reporter: air strikes today in northern syria. just one of a growing number of incidents threatening this fragile truce. both sides accusing the other of violating the cease-fire. but tonight, it has largely held for a second day. the fight continues against isis and al qaeda, but in much of syria, there's a calm that hasn't been felt for years. still at risk, the almost half a million people living under brutal sieges. in one town, local doctors say dozens have died from starvation. we tried to visit today, with government permission, but were turned away, told that mortar and sniper fire made it too dangerous. but the united nations is now trying to capitalize on the quiet, to ramp up deliveries of aid across the country. if the truce holds, they say, they can do more, better and faster. that will be tested tomorrow morning with the first convoys

temporary cease-fire started. alex marquardt, abc news, damascus. back here at home, a plane crash in pennsylvania. take a look at this. the 87-year-old pilot plunging into the trees, reporting engine trouble just after takeoff, suddenly trapped in midair. abc's phillip mena on the rescue effort to get him back on the ground. >> reporter: dangling from the branches, this small plane left hanging from a tree, nose down, after a frightening crash. the only person on the plane, the pilot. 87-year-old herbert bartell, waiting hours to be saved. authorities say he had just taken off and ran into trouble. >> he tried to do a u-turn, but he lost control and it went into the trees. >> reporter: stuck up in the tree, bartell managed to call 911, but it took nearly four hours to get him down, because of all the branches in the way. >> he was in very good spirits

he was conscious, alert, oriented the whole incident. >> reporter: bartell escaped with only minor injuries. >> think by the end he was a little apg shus to get out. >> reporter: phillip mena, abc news, new york. now, to a troubled cruise ship back in the headlines. anthem of the seas, the ship damaged after sailing into hurricane-force winds earlier this month, forced to turn around mid-trip this weekend, returning to new jersey because of a severe storm in its path. and now to hollywood. the academy awards about to get under way tonight. the star power building on the red carpet. the biggest celebs in the business about to arrive. everyone picking their favorites to win. abc's amy robach at the dolby eater. >> reporter: hello, tom. we're right here in the thick of it. the movers and shakers of the film industry and the stars are starting to make their way in and we congratulate all of the nominees. but this year, so much of the attention is on those who were

diversity among the nominees, setting off a firestorm. host chris rock making it clear, he will not shy away from the controversy, tweeting, "see you sunday #blackout #oscar ss" so many are wondering, just how far he will go. we're going to have it all and we're going to have interviews with some of this year's nominees, of course. and, all in our oscar preshow countdown to the oscars. that's coming up, right after "world news tonight," tom. >> robin, thank you so muchlt of course, that was robin roberts, not amy robach. much more coming up on the oscars later. still ahead tonight. danger on the roadways. drivers forced to do more than keep their eyes on the road. debris frying right at them. how to stay safe. and protests erupting in an american city. the police shooting sparking

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welcome back tonight. sudden impact. when objects fly off other vehicles on the road, putting your life in danger. just this weekend, a huge chunk of ice from one car smashed through the windshield of another on a roadway near detroit. and that split second, how can you protect yourself? here's abc's linzie janis. >> reporter: they come out of nowhere. objects like this mat threat. or this tire flying straight at you. sometimes crashing straight through your windshield. amanda mcdonagh was driving with her 2-month-old saturday when ice flew off the car in front of her. >> and his whole sheet came off and just shattered our windshield windshield. >> reporter: luckily, no one was hurt. but tom, driving on an indiana highway last week, came inches from death. >> it's a little sore. >> reporter: when a five-pound metal spring came off a semi,

it happens more than you think. debris triggering roughly 50,000 crashes a year. claiming nearly 450 lives. to prevent accidents like this one, caused by a mattress landing in the road, experts say the best thing you can do is be aware. >> trust your instincts. increase your following distance. make sure that no vehicles are beside you, which gives you ample room in case you have to veer into another lane. >> reporter: and if you don't have that escape route, experts say the best thing to do is to drive through that debris and try not to slam on your brakes. tom? >> linzie, thank you. when we come back, a halftime show surprise. what was in this gift-wrapped box that had one little boy jumping for joy? an arena full of basketball fans on their feet. and this year's oscar statues. the winners may notice a change. why oscar's looking a bit more

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back now with our index. starting tonight with a violent protest in as a matter of factsalt lake city. police say they were trying to break up a fight between two men when one of them allegedly attacked an officer with a broomstick. that person, a 16-year-old black male, was shot and is now in critical condition. shortly after, an angry crowd began hurling rocks at police. several arrests were made. several witnesses are being questioned as the case are under investigation. the mayor calling this a tragedy. >> reporter: turning to sports now. a record night on the basketball court. the golden state warriors steph curry launching the game-winning shot from about 35 feet away. remarkable. less than a second left in

and curry breaking the record for most three-pointers in a season with 288, tying the record for most three-pointers in a game last night with 12, and beating oklahoma city along the way. even other nba stars stunned. lebron james saying "never before seen anyone like him in history." he's having a great season. now to a little boy showered in gifts by his favorite basketball team. the phoenix suns wanted to cheer him up, who had been missing his father, soldier deployed for a long time. then, came this big box. and guess who popped out? >> daddy! >> that reaction. that hug says it all. the crowd erupted watching the emotional reunion. no doubt, the best present ever. now, to the academy awards and it looks like oscar may have a personal trainer. the actual statue is getting a makeover this year. they've been revamped with more muscles, refined jaw line and hairline.

the subtle features loom more like the original statues did in 1929. they will also be hand cast in bronze, like the originals, before getting that 24 karat gold finish. and more oscars ahead. those acceptance speeches. tonight might be a little different, and a little shorter. turning up the music never really works when the oscar winners are in the moment. so, the academy has a new plan this year to help speed things up. question -- will it work? (croheering) abdominal pain. urgent diarrhea. it could be ibs-d. new prescription xifaxan is an ibs-d treatment that helps relieve your diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms. do not use xifaxan if you have a history of sensitivity to rifaximin, rifamycin antibiotic agents, or any components of xifaxan. tell your doctor right away if your diarrhea worsens while taking xifaxan, as this may be a sign of a serious or even fatal condition. tell your doctor if you have liver disease or are taking other medications, because these may increase the amount of xifaxan in your body.

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finally tonight, you'll notice something different at the oscars when the winners give their speeches. the academy is trying out a new plan, but are the stars really going to go for it? abc's chris connelly with the story. >> jen for connelly. >> reporter: an oscar win is a big moment in anyone's life. like when jen for connelly won supporting actress in 2002. you don't want to forget anyone. still, nothing sinks the heart of an oscar producer like a litany of thank yous. >> thank you to all of our magnificent cast and crew for their invaluable collaboration and most especially to ron howard and russell crowe. >> there was al pacino, winning in 1993. >> if you indulge me for a ment, i had to w wte this down.

has pacino's'star power. so, some get played off. as will farrell and jack black famously sang -- no need to thank your parakeet you're boring look at katherine zeta-jones she's snoring >> reporter: this year's oscar producers hope they've hit on a plan to perk up 2016's 45-second acceptances. a scroll at the bottom of the screen that will name all the names a winner needs to thank, as they explained to lara spencer. >> and they don't have to fumble with a list. they don't have to find the glasses. >> oh, my god. >> it's like, look. you can thank more people, you can thank the same people. thank your cat. >> make a statement. >> reporter: the hope is for unmistakable moments of emotion and deeply felt appreciation. the kind that have become part of oscar legend.

>> i just want to -- oh, here we go. okay, the studio, i love you, and cameron crowe and tom cruise! i love you, brother! i love you, man! >> reporter: and if the orchestra never has to play anyone off the stage, audiences around the globe will all be feeling, well, really grateful. chris connelly, abc news, los angeles. >> and we hope for many moments like that tonight. well, the excitement is building for the academy awards. the red carpet starting to fill up. don't miss robin roberts' preshow oscar special coming up, and then the 88th academy awards right here on abc. a complete wrapup of the or kafrs on "gma" tomorrow morning. david muir right back here tomorrow night.

have a great evening.2 line cg: elisa raffa eraffa@kcautv.co m (fred) good evening! we have a beautiful mix of sun and clouds on the port neal welding company

ho chunk centre in downtown sioux city. local temperatures range from the 30s to the 50s. the planner shows clear skies and 37 at 9 pm and 32 at 1 am, and 31 at 5 5m. i'll be back in a few minutes with a look at snow coming to o siouxland tomorrow night. it's time for local news that matters! " " jenna: thanks for joining us for our special oscar night show and we count down to the academy awards. good evening, im jenna rhenstrom. tim: and i'm tim seaman. while the stars in hollywood walk the red carpet and hope to take home a little gold hardware... we're bringing you insight from the oscars unlike anything you can find in

tim: jenna: while the stars line up on the r r carpet... we've got our own local celebrity in house to talk all things oscars... and he cleans up pretty nice, too. jenna: we are joined now by bruce miller from the sioux city journal, bruce there are eight films up for best picture tonight. -the big short -bridge of spies -brooklyn -mad max: fury road -the martian -the revenant -room -spotlight